Hear Me Now
by Muffy the Dough Slayer
Summary: AU. Castiel was quiet, shy, and by himself a lot. Then he joined the Drama Club at his new school and met enthusiastic Dean Winchester...ah, life in the Drama Club will never be the same, and neither will Castiel. Dean/Cas slash. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Another story! I know! But, after much much much much much trying, I have finally managed to start an actual Dean/Cas story! Yay! My mind likes to stop me but I think I have managed to find a way around it, so let us rejoice! Bwaha! And yes, I'm a little hyper...and very tired. Damn you, insomnia! Bah!

Anyway...This is AU. Very much so. Like, nothing supernatural in it at all...that I know of right now, anyway, lol. I have recently discovered that I like acting. I am in a Dramatic Literature class at my school, which I thought was just going to be a bunch of reading, but no...we have to act. A lot. And I _hate_ being in front of people I don't know! But this class has helped me with my shyness and I have become more open. I love it! So it has a special place in my heart and was heavy on my mind while thinking and writing this first chapter. Enjoy!

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**Summary:** Castiel Novak was always part of the 'background', as it were. He wasn't like his twin, Jimmy, who got all the attention and was popular. He's been to three different schools already and it's always been the same. He is the background, really. He's quiet, shy, and doesn't talk much at all. He has very few friends and mostly hangs out by himself. His parents, worried about him, force him to join Lawrence Northwest Central High School Drama Club, where he meets exuberant Dean Winchester and his life is changed forever. (Bad summary, sorry...school name is completely made up!)

**Disclaimer:** Wish I owned it. Oh, the things I would do! A girl can dream, right? Sadly, I don't own it. Never have, never will, sad sigh. I do, however, own Aeron, Sage, Tawny, Kelly, Logan, and Hunter. They are mine. Anywho, Supernatural characters aren't!

Onward with the story!

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**Hear Me Now**

Chapter One

Castiel Novak was new to Lawrence Northwest Central High School, and to him the building seem to tower like a leviathan giant waiting to sink its teeth into him. Thankfully, there were few students here at the moment - after all, it was after school hours, even if only twenty minutes so. In his hand he held a map of the direction he needed to go to find his destination. Heaving a heavy sigh, he continued through the hallways reluctantly. He did not wish to be here, nor did he want to become any part of this school. However, his parents - and twin brother, Jimmy - had thought it best for him to do this and he would not go directly against their wishes. He would do as they asked but that did not mean in any way that he had to like it or actively participate.

Ah, there. Room 124. Castiel took a moment to breathe before he closed his eyes and pushed open the door to the room that would soon change everything in his life.

"Hey! Get back here, you hellion!" a voice shouted. It was the first thing Castiel heard before a body slammed into him and knocked him to the ground. The person who had crashed into him lay on top of him, groaning, and Castiel couldn't breathe, the air knocked harshly from his lungs at the rough contact.

"Ugh…" the person groaned before they jumped off of him. "Shit, I'm sorry." Castiel looked to see a pair of bright green eyes staring at him in apology, sincere and amused all at once. "I didn't know you were going to be coming in at the _exact_ moment I was trying to _leave_, but-"

"Dean Winchester!" a voice snapped.

The guy flinched. "Aw, um, I'm outta here! Sorry about crashing into you! Have fun!" He jumped up and started to dart out of the still-open door, but before he could, a hand snatched out and grabbed hold of the back of his shirt, yanking him to a halt. "Busted."

"I should say so," said a girl with narrowed eyes. Her long red hair flowed down over her shoulders and Castiel stared up at the two of them from his position on the ground. "Now you get back over there and get slapped. It's _your_ scene."

"But-" the guy - Dean, Castiel presumed - started to protest.

"Now," the girl snapped, cutting him off.

Dean's shoulders slouched in defeat. "Fine. Who died and made you Mommy Dearest?" he muttered before he stalked away, moving toward a group of people who were watching with amused interest. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up! Ruby! You'd better not hit hard! I did nothing wrong!"

"I wouldn't hit a girl," Ruby giggled.

"Then you can hit yourself, 'cause you sure as hell ain't one," Dean commented, moving closer to them.

The red-haired girl looked down at Castiel. "You must be Castiel, right?" she asked, reaching a hand down to help him to his feet. "I'm Anna." She nodded in the direction Dean had gone and began walking that way. Castiel followed after her silently, looking around in wonder.

The room was…larger than he would have pictured. There was a stage on it, and curtains, and side doors that boasted 'PROPS' and 'COSTUMES' in proud, bright letters. A few people were seated at one of the two long tables near the far corner, in the light, the stage mostly covered in darkness as people stood up on it, including Dean, the guy who had toppled into Castiel when he'd first entered the room.

"Ow! Woman!" Dean complained as a loud 'slap' resonated through the room. Various people started laughing and Castiel turned his head to see Dean standing on the stage, holding a hand to his cheek as he glared at a girl with long, straight, blonde hair, who was chuckling faintly as she watched him. "Was that necessary?" Dean drawled, frowning at her.

"Yes," she told him matter-of-factly. "Yes, it was. You had a bug on your face! I was trying to kill it. With my hand."

"Uh huh, and how's that working?"

"Very well."

"Right." Dean shook his head and then glared at the guy standing next to him. "You did this!"

"I did no such thing," the guy said. He had long hair in the back and short in the front, and he wore a shirt with the sleeves cut off.

"Liar, I know you planned this. It's because I refuse to call you 'Dr. Badass', isn't it, Ash?" Dean grumbled accusingly, pointing a finger at him.

"You're paranoid," Ash told him.

"You can sit here if you want," Anna said, dragging Castiel's attention away from the stage and its various characters. "I'll round everyone up shortly and you can meet them."

Castiel nodded, unsure as to what he was supposed to say. What was he even doing here? It seemed like everyone was comfortable here but him. His parents thought this was a good idea, but he couldn't see how or why. Sighing, he sat at the end of one of the two tables, away from everyone else in the back of the room. His intense blue eyes scoured the area and he fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, watching as Anna walked toward the stage.

Dean jumped down in front of her. "Never again," he declared, "am I going to be slapped for absolutely no reason."

"It's a skit-" Anna started.

"By _Ash_!" Dean told her, like that meant something important and to be followed.

"We don't discourage creativity, Dean," Anna chided. "And he _is_ one of the captains."

"Point?" Dean asked innocently, rocking back on his heels. Castiel could almost hear him whistling, his eyes wide, green, and innocent.

"Wait until you see his next idea," Anna said, chuckling suddenly.

"Oh, God. I'm scared. What's it about?" Dean asked with a frown as he started to take a step back as though that might stop whatever words were about to leave Anna's mouth. Castiel watched, vaguely amused.

"He has you fainting."

"Me. Fainting." Each word was said with a somewhat puzzled blink.

"Yes." Anna nodded as though she had just told him the sun was bright or the sky was blue, like it was something to be known already, something commonplace.

Dean blinked momentarily. Then he growled and spun around. "Ash! I'm going to kill you!"

"Gotta go!" Ash said before he darted off stage, disappearing into the darkness beyond the curtains. Dean leaped onto the stage and chased after him.

Anna chuckled and began talking quietly with the blonde girl, Ruby. Then she broke off and whistled shrilly. The sound echoed through the room and Castiel fidgeted even more as everyone quieted. Dean and Ash appeared from the shadows, Dean grumbling with his arms crossed and Ash looking very amused as the thumped Dean on the back of the head. Anna began leading the way toward the table Castiel was seated at and he realized she was bringing them to him. Swallowed, he looked up at the ceiling to distract himself from the fact that everyone was now approaching him, probably looking at him. He did not like being looked at by so many people - he preferred to become part of the background, silent but watching, there but unnoticed.

"Heya," Dean commented as he plopped down in the seat next to him, grinning. Castiel glanced at him and nodded in greeting, not knowing what else to do or say. "Sorry for crashing into you like that."

"And?" Anna prompted, thumping him on the back of the head. Dean groaned and glared at her.

"And I should have stayed helped you up."

"And?"

"Sheesh, woman, don't rush me! I'm getting there!" Dean growled at her, smacking her hand away when she moved to thump him again for good measure. "You're worse than Ash and Ruby. Anyway." His gaze focused on Castiel once more. "Sorry. I'm Dean."

"Good. See? He can be kind!" Ruby commented with a laugh.

"I will smite you!" Dean told her.

Ruby snorted and Anna rolled her eyes. "Everyone, this is Castiel Novak. He's new to the school and to this club, so everyone be kind to him."

"Why do you look at _me_ when you say that?" Dean grumbled. "I'm always nice. I'm so wonderful I make myself sick."

"Good, throw up and leave," said another guy with a smirk.

"E tu, Aeron?" Dean asked as though truly upset, even though there was an amused glimmer in his eye. "What is this? Gang up on Dean day?"

"Yes," everyone said in unison.

"Damn. I must not have gotten that memo, or I would have stayed home today," Dean said.

"Anyway," Anna said, dragging the focus back to her. "We want you to feel comfortable here, Castiel. We're all like a family here, right guys?"

"Sure," Dean said with a smirk, "a family that slaps you, hits you, makes you _faint_, and…I'm forgetting something, I know I am."

Ash and Anna both smacked him upside the head at the same time. Dean grimaced and rubbed at his head.

"Yeah, that. A family that likes you _hit_ you, repeatedly, in the head and then they wonder why you can't remember anything," Dean told him with a nod, as though that answered everything. "Yeah. A _nice_ family."

"Oh, shut up," Ruby said, rolling her eyes.

Dean shrugged.

"Anyway," Anna said, "like I said, I'm Anna. That's Ruby, Dean, Ash, Jo, Aeron, Sage, Tawny, Logan, Kelly, and Hunter. Everyone, this is Castiel, say hi."

"Hi," everyone chimed.

"Oh, um…hi," Castiel murmured, feeling uncomfortable. Why was Anna making such a big deal of his arrival? He was perfectly happy in the background, where no one noticed him. Why did everyone seem to want to change that? Like this school would be any different from the last one, anyway. Everywhere was the same, right? People were the same everywhere he went.

"We hope you have fun in Drama Club," Jo said, speaking up for the first time. She was also blonde, but her hair was darker than Ruby's, and she was shorter, probably a year younger than Castiel.

"Er…thanks," Castiel said.

What would be different about this year from any other at any other school? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There was nothing to cheer about. In a day or maybe a week, everyone would go back to ignoring him. They would forget his name, forget he was there, and he would be free to be part of the background.

The thought relaxed him a little.

And then Dean grinned at him. "You're gonna wish you'd never joined. Welcome to the family."

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So...good, bad? Worth continuing? Please let me know! I live off reviews and they make me write faster! :) Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	2. Chapter 2

Wow. Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm so glad you like it! I honestly wasn't sure anyone would want to read this, both because I believe I am horrible at writing fanfiction and also because...well...c'mon. Drama Club. lol. I know nothing of it...except that in my Dramatic Lit class, we do plays a lot, and skits and everything, and I imagine Drama Club to be like that, but with a stage and in a dark-ish room. So that's my Drama Club, haha, I know it's probably not accurate, but oh well. Thank you so much for the reviews! They really made me want to continue this. And I have gotten a few ideas ;)

I was just going to have this be a short story, kind of like...maybe two or three chapters long, depending on length, and I probably would have ended it pretty quickly. But now I keep getting ideas and so I want to drag it out a little, if that's okay. So long as you guys keep reviewing, I'll keep writing! And if you have anything you want me to add in here, feel free to let me know and I will consider it.

Sam will 'probably' make an appearance next chapter, but I make no promises. It depends on length. Anywho, I based the three separate lunches off of my own high school, of which I'm in third lunch. Dean is like me here - he hates that they keep running out of food. We ran out again today, right when I got to the front to get my food! Ugh! I hate it. And so I just got ice cream today, lol. Like Dean ;)

I apologize if I've botched the characters in any way.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it, as stated previously. That hasn't changed in a day.

Enjoy! Reviews are love!

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Chapter Two

Castiel tried to blend into the background at school, in his classes. Dean shared four of them with him, though, and didn't seem to let that happen. He kept sitting next to him, talking to him, encouraging him to join into conversations…it was all so strange to Castiel. So, for the most part, he remained silent and let Dean do the talking. Dean rambled on and on and Castiel had the vague impression that maybe people didn't listen to him very often, and so Dean just talked to talk. It seemed that people often disregarded what he said and so maybe he found it nice that someone wasn't interrupting him. Castiel wasn't sure why Dean had chosen him to ramble to, but he couldn't deny that it felt nice…having someone talk to him….all the time…nonstop…

Dean was a chatter-box. There was no getting around that, but while most people sighed and rolled their eyes, Castiel didn't really mind it.

In fact, by the fourth day of school, he expected it, was maybe even looking forward to it.

"Hey, Cas," Dean called, waving him toward the back of their first period classroom. Castiel sighed and wandered through the rows of desks and sat next to Dean.

Dean had started calling him Cas two days ago. Castiel kind of liked it. No one had bothered to give him a nickname before, even though sometimes his family called him 'Cas' or 'Cassie', but that was different. That was family.

This was Dean.

Dean gave into a wide yawn and leaned back in his seat. Class had yet to start and so the teacher wasn't in the room to lecture him. So Castiel took it upon himself to see that Dean did not tip back and fall. And how did he do that? By stamping down on the front legs of the chair. The chair crashed forward and Dean sighed, glaring at him.

"Must you ruin my version of comfort?" he complained.

Castiel shrugged, not answering, like always.

Dean sighed. "You gonna be at the meeting today?"

Castiel hesitated. There was Drama Club after school today, in room 124, but he wasn't sure he was going to go. Most of the people had probably already forgotten about him, right? And his parents had stopped nagging him all the time, so maybe he could just sit this meeting out. But when he looked at Dean to tell him that, he saw wide green eyes focused on him, and he seemed to lose the ability to speak for reasons unknown to him. He started to shake his head no, but then found himself nodding yes.

Yes. He was going to the meeting today.

"Cool," Dean told him with a grin. "It'll be nice to have someone there who _doesn't_ shout at me every two minutes." He leaned back in his chair.

Castiel said nothing, mostly because he didn't have a response and he wasn't sure one was needed. The teacher entered the room and snapped instantly, "Mr. Winchester, do not tip back in chairs!"

"Busted," Dean sighed, dropping his chair forward again. "No matter what I do, I'm busted."

Castiel hid a smirk.

* * *

Castiel nearly panicked at lunch when Jimmy approached him when he was going to sit with Dean and a few of the others in Drama Club. As far as Dean and the others knew, Jimmy didn't exist. Castiel hadn't bothered to talk much and he certainly hadn't mentioned his brother. He loved his brother, but Jimmy somehow was always the popular one, the one people liked, and while Castiel wasn't used to it, he was actually starting to enjoy the fact that people were paying attention to him. And if Jimmy came into the picture, everyone would like him and leave Castiel alone.

Maybe even Dean.

And for some reason, that thought gnawed at his stomach each time he thought about introducing Jimmy to the others. And so he stood with Jimmy momentarily in the corner of the lunch room, where most people tended to ignore simply because it was the _corner_. Nothing interesting ever happened in the corner.

"This school is annoying," Jimmy was complaining. "There's about six girls that _won't_ leave me alone."

Castiel couldn't agree - the school wasn't really annoying…to him, anyway. He usually found it annoying, like Jimmy, but…there seemed to be something about this school. He found it somewhat enjoyable. Someone was actually paying attention to him…

Someone like Dean.

Dean Winchester, who was enthusiastic, exuberant, and popular. Dean Winchester, who talked just to talk. Dean Winchester, who could have chosen to befriend _anyone_. Dean Winchester, who had been talking to him nonstop.

Yeah. Castiel kind of liked that. Okay, liked it a lot. It was…nice. Reassuring. It made him feel wanted and as though he belonged.

"So who have you been hanging with?" Jimmy asked casually. "Haven't seen you around much, Cassie. You joined Drama Club, right? How is it?"

Castiel paused. How was it? Strange, but he'd only been there once. The second meeting, for him, was today. "It's okay," he finally said, giving a deep sigh. He glanced around Jimmy to see Dean and a few others gathered around their usual lunch table. There didn't appear to be any seats left, now. Great. Now where was he going to sit? The thought of sitting elsewhere made him sigh and put a somewhat heavy weight on his heart.

"Maybe I'll join too," Jimmy said, and then grinned. "Wouldn't that be fun? Twins in drama?"

"Um…" Castiel didn't necessarily know how to respond to that. Being with his brother was fun, and Jimmy was like his best friend and not just his twin, but both of them in Drama Club? Then people really _would_ forget about him and ignore him. Jimmy had a better personality. Jimmy talked more. Jimmy was more likeable. He wasn't like Castiel, who rarely talked, liked to blend into the background, and was becoming enthused by the unique attention given to him by a certain, green-eyed someone.

But if Jimmy joined Drama Club…it would all go away. Of that, Castiel was sure. Everyone would forget about him. But wasn't that what he wanted?

He bit down on his lower lip. Being part of the background was what he was used to, really. No one ever paid him any mind and that was where he was comfortable. But the thought of Dean forgetting about him, ignoring him, picking Jimmy over him…

Well. For some reason, that thought stabbed painfully at Castiel's heart and left him breathless.

Jimmy clapped a hand to his shoulder as he started to pass him. "Well, I have to go for now - my lunch is over. See you later, man." He swiftly walked away while Castiel stood there in silence, swallowing thickly.

There were three lunch schedules at this school. All the lunches occurred in fifth period, which was an hour and a half long but because of lunch, it was only an hour for each class. First lunch people got to eat right after fourth, and then thirty minutes later, they went to class and second lunch students filed into the cafeteria from class and took to the task of eating and talking, sometimes simultaneously, which Castiel could never understand. Then, thirty minutes after that, third lunch got to go to the cafeteria and eat. Castiel didn't mind being in third lunch, not really. He had been upset at first, though.

Because they were brothers and actually twins, the school had decided to not put them in any classes together. Siblings didn't attend the same classes unless they shared an interest - such as band, art, or choir, but Castiel wasn't interested in any of those, and neither was Jimmy. Jimmy had second lunch and Castiel had third lunch.

Castiel brought his lunch so he didn't have to worry about the various complaints Dean had about being in third lunch. According to the green-eyed junior, third lunch always ran out of food. Castiel didn't go through the lines, though, so he didn't really understand. Couldn't Dean just bring his food? But every time someone mentioned this, Dean bringing his own food from home, Dean would grumble something and then go quiet the rest of lunch. No one mentioned it much. Castiel got the vague impression there was something Dean wasn't saying.

Sighing, Castiel made his way across the lunch room toward his table, even though it appeared to be filled already. He knew he would have to sit elsewhere, but his things were already on the table - his lunch and books. He moved as though to grab them and then stopped when Dean smiled at him.

"Hey, Cas," he greeted warmly, as always. Then he shoved the person next to him out of the chair and jerked a thumb in Castiel's direction. "You're in his seat."

The guy rolled his eyes and stood. "Did you have to push me?"

"Yes. It's your shirt. It says 'push me, I'm annoying!'," Dean said with a smirk, gesturing for Castiel to sit down in the now-empty seat.

Castiel blinked at him in confusion and then frowned at the person who was standing. They were sighing, rolling their hazel eyes.

"Whatever, you're just an ass," the guy said. "But I have to go anyway. Skipping class again won't go unnoticed. See ya!" Then he took off at a run, just as the bell was ringing. The guy groaned and darted out of the lunch room.

Dean chuckled. "Ignore Grant, he's a dick. You gonna sit or what?"

Castiel sat, still confused.

Dean had cleared a seat for him? Well, that was nice. He pulled his lunch box toward him and opened it, grabbing his food.

"So…you seem nervous," Dean commented after a moment.

Castiel frowned. "Huh?" He glanced at him.

Dean shrugged. "About Drama Club, I mean. You shouldn't be - it's really not that bad, honest. Unless you're me. Then it sucks."

"That's only 'cause you have a knack for making people want to pummel you," commented Hunter from two seats down on Dean's other side. It was a circular table, so he was practically on the other side.

"Shut it," Dean threw at him. "Eat your peas in peace!"

Hunter shrugged and shoved a forkful of peas into his mouth.

Dean grimaced. "How the hell can you eat those? For one, they're freakin' peas! And for two, they're peas! And three, c'mon…it's _school_ peas. That alone should send you running to a hospital."

"You're just mad 'cause you're not eatin'," Hunter said with a grin. "Picky. Like a girl."

"I will stab you with a spork!"

"You don't even have one."

"I'll get one!" He turned to Castiel. "Cas, back me up! Produce a spork!"

Castiel frowned, confused. "Um…I don't have one, Dean."

"Don't give me that, I know you have plastic utensils in there somewhere!" Dean grabbed at his lunch box. Without thinking, Castiel scowled and pulled it away, smacking at his hand. Dean pouted at him. "You? Smacking me too? Oh, that hurts, man! Right here." He pressed a hand over his heart with mock hurt etched on his face.

Castiel smirked.

"Face it, Dean, no one likes you," Hunter chuckled.

"Silence!"

"Watch it, or I'll have Ash and Anna make you do something tonight."

"You wouldn't," Dean growled, eyes wide. "Hunter!"

"I would."

"Just 'cause you're dating Anna…" Dean shook his head and rolled his eyes. Then he turned to Castiel. "You'll back me up, right? Say he was being all rude and cruel? Say he threatened to stab with a _spork_, of all things?"

"That was _you,_" Hunter accused.

"Lies! You see, Cas, he's a liar. We should ignore him. You're with me, right?"

"Er…sure, Dean," Castiel said, staring at him momentarily, still confused at this conversation.

"Awesome! We're 'Cas and Dean'," Dean declared, throwing a dramatic arm over Castiel's shoulder. "All should fear us. We will one day rule the world! And we can kick people like _him_" - he jerked a thumb at Hunter - "out of it."

"You can't kick people out of Earth," Hunter felt the need to point out while Castiel chuckled, his face feeling somewhat hot as Dean kept his arm around his neck and shoulders.

"Oh yes I can," Dean said. "With a rocket. Right, Cas?"

"Uh…yeah. Sure," Castiel said.

Dean released him and Castiel felt cold where he had just felt surprisingly warm a moment ago. Then he was confused all over again, as to why it had felt warm and…so…_good_ and _right_ in the first place. It was all in good fun, right? Yeah. It was just…Dean was a friend. And Castiel had never quite had a friend like him before. That made it different.

Right?

That was all it was.

"I hear we're doing some small play today," Hunter was saying to Dean when Castiel tuned back into the conversation. "For fun."

"…Who picked it out?" Dean asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Anna."

"Gah! That woman just won't stop, will she? You should stop her, Hunter."

"How?"

"I don't know, you're the one dating her! Figure it out. Be _persuasive_," Dean said in such a tone that sent chills through Castiel's spine.

Hunter chuckled. "She's stubborn."

"So I've noticed," Dean muttered. "Oh well, I just won't volunteer today."

"Like you ever have a choice."

"It's not my fault!"

"Whatever."

Castiel was confused. "What?" he asked before he could stop himself. Asking random questions was certainly _not_ 'blending into the background'.

Dean shook his head at him. "Look at me and tell me - do I have a sign on me somewhere that says 'I must be in this play! Pick me!' on it?" He gazed at Castiel innocently.

Castiel frowned and took in a deep breath. Dean's eyes were too bright. "Um…no?" he tried, not sure what to say.

"Exactly! And yet, Anna keeps making me act," Dean told him. "I didn't even sign up for this!"

"Nope," Hunter laughed.

"What?" Castiel asked.

"His _brother_ signed him up," Hunter said with a loud laugh that echoed through the room, even through the loud chatter from everywhere.

"Brother?" Castiel asked. He had heard Dean mention something about a brother before, but Castiel couldn't remember much about him. Younger, older, name…He didn't remember, if Dean had mentioned it, that was.

"Yeah, his name's Sam," Hunter said, thumping Dena on the back. "He signed up this devil about two years ago, as a prank, and Dean's been with us since."

Dean scowled. "He's a damn manipulative bastard," he said with a nod, as though that summed up his brother. Then he paused. "You two might get along, actually. You're kind of alike."

Castiel frowned. "So I'm a…damn manipulative bastard?" A weight settled in his heart, crushing it somewhat. Was that what Dean thought of him?

Dean's eyes went wide. "What? No! God, no, that's not what I meant." Then he laughed slightly. "No. Sam's not really…like that, I guess, just when he wants to be. But I bet you could be cunning too, if you tried."

Castiel cocked his head to the side, frowning.

"I mean he's smart, quiet, kind of shy…"

"And I'm…like that?" Castiel questioned.

"Most of the time," Dean told him, thumping him on the back with a chuckle. "Anyway, hurry up and eat. You're coming with me to get an ice cream."

"I am?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

* * *

The argument with the spork is based off a real-life argument at Pizza Hut one day a few years ago with a few of my friends. We eventually got kicked out, lol. But it was fun!

I am sorry if I have made Jimmy seem like an ass or something. I was reading over it just now and he kinda annoyed me but that was not my intention. He'll become more important later, honest! Anywho ;) Thanks again for reviewing, those who have! Those who haven't...sniffles. Why not? lol jk. Anyway, thanks again, and please review! I will try and hurry and write the next chapter.

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is mostly pointless, but I think it furthers the characters and also gives people skits and whatnot. lol anyway...thank you all so much for reviewing! I honestly didn't think this story would do so well, and I'm so glad you like it! It makes me want to keep writing and keep posting. Quickly.

Oscar: To me is an annoying name simply because my cat, a long time ago, was named Oscar and every time I hear the name, I think of a cat.

George: I really don't like that name. I never have. I mean, I don't mind it, but I wouldn't name my kid that or anything. But yeah ;) there's those so you know why I put them in near the end.

Thanks again for reviewing! Please continue to do so! Reviews are love ;) and life. You wouldn't want me to die, would you? haha anyway.

Onward!

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Chapter Three

It was dark when Castiel and Dean entered room 124. Dean didn't seem surprised or moved by the fact, but to Castiel, it seemed somewhat strange. Why would the room be completely dark? "Might wanna stay close," Dean muttered to him in a low whisper that was barely loud enough to reach Castiel's ears. "Never know what's gonna happen in here. These people are crazy."

"And you?"

"Oh, I'm crazy too." He could hear the grin in Dean's voice clear as day, which made him smile as well. Keeping close to Dean as they entered further into the room didn't seem to be a problem, at least not for him.

Dean suddenly grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him close, causing Castiel's breath to cut off momentarily. "Dean, what-" he started to ask but was stopped when he was bombarded in the face with water balloons. Thoroughly soaked and confused, he spluttered into the darkness around them, feeling Dean chuckle warmly next to him. That eased the chill of the water…somewhat. "What the…?"

"Sorry!" came Hunter's voice as he appeared from the shadows, laughing crazily. "I was going for Dean."

"Sorry, Cas," Dean said with a grin. "But I needed a shield."

Castiel frowned at him. He wanted to be angry that he had been used as such, especially with the chill of water seeping through him, but he just kept remembering how nice it had felt, at first, when Dean had pulled him close. He had felt warmth then, and also now as he thought back on it. So, no. He wasn't angry. Just confused. "Uh…"

"Do you forgive me?" Dean asked innocently, fluttering his eyes. He had unbelievably long eyelashes, Castiel realized as he frowned again, his mind freezing momentarily. How could he not forgive him when he was looking at him like that?

Maybe _Dean_ was the manipulative one, Castiel mused, and not Sam.

"Um…sure," he said with a shrug. "No…big deal."

Except he was freezing. Shivering, he couldn't hold the cold back anymore. Dean gave him a sympathetic look and looped an arm around his shoulders, brushing them both past Hunter as they headed toward the door with the word 'COSTUMES' written brightly on it. Castiel felt almost instant warmth from where Dean's arm was around him, and he glanced at him. Dean was grinning, still chuckling slightly, gazing ahead, toward the door. He pushed the door open and the two of them entered the room.

It was crowded. Costumes and outfits cluttered the walls and left them in a small aisle of clothing, pressed together. "Sorry for the tight fit," Dean apologized. "But we have towels in here…somewhere." He pulled his arm away and began rummaging through a few boxes on the ground. "We just switched rooms not too long ago," he was saying as he searched, "and so we're not completely unpacked."

"Uh…it's okay," Castiel murmured, finding himself wishing for that warmth again. Why did it always feel so good and warm when Dean put an arm around his shoulders? It felt strange to Castiel, but yet so marvelously great at the same time. He didn't know what to think, not really, and thus he seemed to be perpetually confused.

Dean threw a towel at him. "You can change, too, if you want," he told him.

Castiel blinked at him. "What?" He had no spare clothes here, stashed away. Did Dean?

Dean pulled out a dark red shirt from under one of the boxes, grinning as he handed it to Castiel. "This isn't the first time they've tried something like this," he explained at the confused look Castiel was giving him. "I've learned to keep clothes around where I can get to them easily. Unfortunately, due to a fiasco two weeks ago, I don't have any spare pants lying around."

"That's okay," Castiel said, feeling touched that Dean was willing to give him his shirt, if only temporarily. "I'll give it back, um…tomorrow."

"Nah, it's okay," Dean said, shaking his head. "I've got a ton of 'em. Sammy's getting most of 'em but he complains about 'hand-me-downs', so I figure, why waste them? You can have it."

"Thank you," Castiel said sincerely, truly and honestly meaning it, every syllable. No one had really ever given him anything before…at least not anyone outside of his family. It was sad, was it not? He was a junior in high school and yet friendship was a new concept to him. Then again, he was used to being alone and having only his brother, Jimmy, to talk to and Jimmy didn't always feel like talking. Neither did Castiel, really. He just liked the company. But while he could sit around somewhere and be quiet for hours on end, Jimmy could not. Jimmy had to talk or be doing something.

It was a trait it seemed Jimmy and Dean both shared. They would probably get along great.

Why did that thought make something twist uneasily in Castiel's stomach? The thought of Jimmy and Dean as friends, getting along? It just didn't sit well with him. At all.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, frowning at him.

Castiel blinked. "Nothing. I'm fine," he told him. Really, he was. He was just confused as to why the thought seemed to disturb him more than he thought it would have. Would Dean ignore him? For some reason, Castiel nearly flinched at the unbidden thought. Sure, at first he'd wanted people to forget about him, ignore him, let him fall into the background…but now…

Now, he liked that Dean paid attention to him. He liked the way Dean put his arm around him at times. He liked that someone actually was his friend.

And he didn't want to give that up.

"You sure?" Dean asked.

"Yes. I'm fine."

Dean shrugged. "Well, okay then. I'm gonna let you change." He left the room, leaving Castiel alone in silence.

Sighing, Castiel pulled off his soaked shirt and slipped on Dean's. It felt much warmer than it should have, and he blamed it on the fact that it was Dean's.

Like Dean's warmth could rub off something.

Hmm.

Shaking his head, he exited the small room and found the lights on now. Anna approached him, smiling softly. "Sorry about Hunter," she said. "We were in the back and didn't know what he was planning."

"It's fine," he assured her.

She nodded. "You can hit him if you want."

He blinked at her. Him? Hit someone? Was that really necessary? He didn't think it was. "No thanks," he told her.

She shrugged. "Okay. Dean!" She spun and latched out with a hand, snapping hold of Dean's arm as he walked past.

"Ack! Woman!" Dean growled as he was hauled backward. "What?"

"I have the best idea!"

"Uh…" Dean glanced at Castiel as though for answers, but Castiel only shrugged helplessly. He had absolutely no idea what Anna was talking about. "Um…Anna, you're scaring me. Let go."

"No, you're going to love it!" she promised him, smiling while Hunter laughed in the background. Clearly he was in on this too, and Dean seemed to realize that as well.

"Hunter! Just wait until I get my spork! Cas, I'm leaving it up to you to get the spork," Dean said, smiling at him.

"I'm not going to buy a spork, Dean," Castiel said, scowling. Who used a spork, anyway? What use did it have in society? Honestly. It was pointless.

"Why not?"

"Because."

" 'cause why?"

"Because," Castiel said, frowning at him.

Dean smirked. "Then I'll have to steal one." He turned and growled over his shoulder at Hunter, "Beware! I _will_ get that spork!"

"Dean, be serious," Anna said, rolling her eyes.

"I am," Dean said.

"Yeah right. And I'm Virgin Mary."

Dean's eyes went wide. "Really? But I _heard_ you and Hunter-"

"Dean!"

Dean grinned. "Well, it's true. Now…what is it that you have that's _such_ a great idea?"

Anna smirked. "Oh, you'll see. You're going to be in it."

"I'm _what_? No I'm not!"

"Yes you are." Her gaze turned to Castiel. She looked him up and down before a wide smile crossed her face. "You can be in it too, you seem perfect for it."

"Uh…" Castiel started, confused.

"It's nothing bad, don't worry," Anna chuckled. "You and Dean are the stars."

"I'm what? Lies! I don't even wanna be in it!" Dean said stubbornly.

"And make Castiel be in it alone? It's his first skit, Dean. Really, be nice."

"I'm always nice!"

"Not right now."

"Silence." Dean frowned and turned to look at Castiel. "Um…if you really want to do the skit….uh…I guess I could do it with you. If you want."

Castiel paused. A skit with Dean? It sounded like fun, really. He'd never done any kind of acting before, and especially not a skit, but the thought intrigued him. Especially if he and Dean were the stars. That had so much potential, really… "Oh, um…sure. If you want," he said hastily. He didn't want to make Dean do something he didn't want.

Dean shrugged and sighed. "I guess." He looked at Anna. "We'll do it."

She squealed. Castiel flinched, the sound irritating his ears. Dean glared at her. "Sorry," she apologized. "Okay, I'll go get your scripts. It's not that long, just two friends after a party."

"Uh huh…" Dean said suspiciously, eying her. "Sure."

"Honest!"

"Okay." He shook his head and she hurried away, quickly being joined by Hunter. Together, they disappeared onto the stage and then behind the curtains. Castiel frowned at Dean.

"Should I be scared?"

"Yes," Dean said somberly, sounding completely serious. "Be very afraid."

Castiel smirked. "Um…thanks for the shirt…" He glanced down at himself. The shirt fit pretty nicely, even though it was a little big. Then again, Dean was a little taller than him, and certainly appeared more muscular and athletic.

"No problem," Dean said with a shrug, grinning. "Keep it." Then he groaned. "I hope Anna's little skit isn't bad. And doesn't involved me getting _slapped_ again."

"Yeah, why did she do that?" Castiel asked. It was a question he'd been meaning to ask but had never opened his mouth to speak the words.

Dean shrugged. "It was Ash's idea. I don't know, it went with the skit. Apparently I was being a 'jerk' so Ruby slapped me. I dunno."

Castiel didn't say anything, mostly because nothing seem appropriate. He could have said that Dean wasn't a jerk, from what he'd seen so far. He enjoyed Dean's company, his warmth, and so Dean surely couldn't be classified as a jerk by any standards. But to say that would raise questions, and considering that Castiel felt he was on shaky, unsure ground as it was, he didn't wish to push his luck. So he kept his mouth shut and didn't say a word.

Anna approached them with two scripts in hand. They didn't seem particularly thick or lock, for which Castiel was pleased. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he had a bunch of lines to learn, considering he'd never acted before in his life. She handed them the scripts and then walked away when Ruby called out to her for help with a different scene, probably for a different skit.

Castiel glanced down at the stapled paper in his hands. Dean was already snorting.

"I have to play a character named 'George'? Really?"

Castiel smirked, looking down at his script. A name was highlighted and he figured that was who he was supposed to play. "If it helps, I am a character named 'Oscar'."

Dean laughed. The sound seemed like music to Castiel's ears, and the thought made him blush a little. He turned his head away so Dean wouldn't notice. What was wrong with him lately?

"Anna likes weird names, I guess," Dean said before he shook his head. Dean leafed through the script. "Of course they make me the drunk."

Castiel frowned and glanced through his as well. "I have to pick you up from a party."

"Yep. Apparently I'm an ass."

Castiel smiled slightly. "Apparently, in here anyway."

Dean shrugged. "Well then. We usually get about two weeks to practice, depending on length and how long our lines are."

"Oh. Okay." That sounded reasonable. Castiel could do that.

"Well, looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other, practicing."

"Okay."

That sounded nice. Really, it did. Especially if he was going to be able to hang with Dean. Castiel had to admit it was nice, this warm feeling flooding through him.

Anna clapped her hands, breaking Castiel out of his musing. "Okay, everyone, I've assigned most of you to different skits. We will perform them in two weeks, so be ready! Also, as you all know but I'm going to say for Castiel's benefit, we will be meeting every day after school until then, to rehearse. Any questions?"

Castiel didn't have any. He would have thought the idea of meeting every day after school for practice would be annoying, would grate on his nerves because he hadn't even wanted to be here in the first place, but the thought was actually not horrible. It meant he got to spend more time with Dean, who was rapidly becoming his friend, his first friend in a long time.

And if that warm feeling was anything to go by…

No.

Castiel shut that thought down because it was absurd. Right?

Dean smiled at him and he tried to tell himself that those _weren't_ butterflies in his stomach, that he was just hungry or something.

But of course he knew he was lying.

* * *

Sorry if I totally and completely botched the characters ;) But thanks for reading! Let me know if there's anything I need to change, or what you would like to see in this story. I planned out until chapter 10 today but plans usually change and I don't know what's going to happen after that, at least not yet. I'm open to suggestions! Thanks again! Please review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	4. Chapter 4

Another chapter today! Two in one day, lol. I guess that's good? Hmm. Anyway. This chapter might suck, so sorry...I'm really tired at the moment...and have started sleeping again. hehe. Thank God! Anywho. Sam is introduced in this chapter, and I think Jimmy will make another appearance next chapter but I'm not a hundred percent yet. I'm changing some things around. Anyway, thanks again for the reviews! They inspire and motivate me! Keep it up, please!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Four

Castiel wasn't sure why he was doing this. He never went home with anyone. He always waited for his parents to arrive after Drama Club so that they could take him home, because the family car had gone to Jimmy, who had shown an interest in driving before Castiel had. They both had their licenses but it was a matter of there only being one car, and Jimmy had claimed it. Either way, though, Castiel always had a ride from his family. On normal school days, Jimmy and him road home together. On days he had Drama Club - which, this past week, had been every day for rehearsal, but that wasn't so entirely bad, actually - his parents picked him up, or sometimes it was Jimmy, when his brother was free.

Either way, this was new to him. Dean was still inside room 124, talking to Hunter and Ash. Castiel was standing outside the room, waiting for him, leaning against the wall as he stared down the empty hallway before him. It was a little strange, how quiet the school could seem after hours, when during the day it was so loud that he could barely hear himself think. Shaking his head, Castiel pushed those thoughts away for the time being, seeing as how they weren't important.

Dean finally emerged from the room and joined him in the hallway. "Sorry about that," he said, shrugging on a light jacket. "Ready?"

Castiel nodded. Dean turned and started walking down a hallway, and Castiel hurriedly followed after him, wondering again why he was doing this. He felt uncomfortable just thinking about it. His comfort zone mostly consisted of his house and things he knew. Going with Dean was certainly not something he knew much of…even if the two were just going to go get milkshakes and practice their lines again.

Sighing, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. The two exited the school and a harsh breeze slammed into them, causing Castiel to shiver. He hadn't been expecting it to be so chilly out already, even though fall had already started a few weeks ago. It was getting colder out every day, but he hadn't been expecting this. It had been warm this morning and so he hadn't bothered to bring a jacket. Walking through the parking lot, he forced himself not to wrap his arms around himself to keep warm. That would look silly and it was his own fault for not thinking to bring a jacket in the first place.

He startled when a jacket was thrown at him. Catching it, he frowned and glanced at Dean to see that he no longer wore a jacket. The jacket was now clasped in Castiel's hands. Dean shrugged at his confused expression. "You look cold," he stated. "I'm fine."

"Dean, I can't…" He couldn't just take Dean's jacket and leave him to be cold. That wasn't right. It felt nice that Dean was offering to lend him his jacket, but Castiel couldn't just leave him without one simply because he hadn't thought to bring one himself.

"Sure you can," Dean said with a smile. "It's fine, really. My car's not far. I'm fine." He sped up as though to stop this conversation, and Castiel sighed heavily as he pulled on the jacket. Much like Dean's shirt before, the jacket brought with it a seemingly unnatural warmth that Castiel couldn't quite wrap his head around. He hurried after Dean.

Dean stopped in front of a car. "This is my baby," he declared with a grin.

Castiel paused and looked at the car. It was a Chevy Impala, black in color, and looked to be in great condition, shiny and new-looking even though he was pretty sure it wasn't. It was a nice car, though, and found himself grinning. "Nice," he commented.

"I know, right?" Dean chuckled and climbed into the car. Castiel joined him a moment later, climbing into the passenger seat. Dean keyed the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot, rock music beginning to blare from the speakers of the radio. Castiel paused and listened to the music for a moment.

It wasn't really his type of music, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was just that he wasn't used to it. Dean hummed along under his breath and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in rhythm with the music. Shrugging, Castiel figured he could get used to this.

"We gotta make a stop first," Dean said suddenly, "if you don't mind."

"Okay. Where?" Castiel asked, glancing at him.

"Gotta pick Sammy up from school. He stayed after for some academic thing." Dean shrugged and smirked. "He's a smart kid." There was a fondness that rushed over his face, his eyes softening as he thought about his brother. Castiel watched quietly, not used to seeing this expression on Dean's face. It was nice, though. Like he was seeing a different side of his new friend.

A part of him was nervous about meeting Sam. He was Dean's brother, after all - family. And that made Castiel feel guilty for not introducing Jimmy and Dean, for not evening telling Dean that he had a twin named Jimmy.

Another part of him felt pleased that Dean seemed to trust him enough to have him meet his brother.

But mostly, he felt anxious as conflicting emotions battled within him.

"He'll probably come with us, if that's okay," Dean said, frowning slightly as he glanced at Castiel. "But I can take him home, if you want."

"It's fine, Dean," Castiel told him. Was Dean having second thoughts about having Sam and Castiel meet? Was that why he appeared to be nervous?

The tension left Dean's shoulders and the smile returned. "Good, thanks, Cas. You'll love him."

Castiel frowned to himself. There really was something Dean wasn't saying, he mused, and it must have been about his home life. First the thing in the lunch room with the bringing of his own lunch and the way he got quiet when anyone mentioned it. Now this, the way he seemed tense at the thought of taking Sam home while he and Castiel went to get milkshakes. Was there something wrong at home?

But then again, that really wasn't any of his business, was it? If there was something Dean wasn't saying, then he surely had a reason he didn't want to talk about it. If he changed his mind sometime later, Castiel would be there to listen.

Like always.

Dean started humming again. Castiel relaxed in the passenger seat, wrapped in the warmth of Dean's jacket.

Yeah. He could really get used to this, he decided with a small smile as he looked out the window.

* * *

Sam Winchester wasn't what Castiel had been expecting, not really. He had been expecting someone more like Dean, with broad shoulders, thin yet muscular form, short blonde hair, and green eyes. Sam wasn't like that, though. He was small, only twelve, with shaggy brown hair that dipped into his dark hazel eyes, his body thin and lanky. He seemed to be catching up in height, though. Maybe he would be as tall as him and Dean one day, maybe taller.

Sam wasn't like Dean in his personality, either. Dean chatted as soon as Sam got into the car, barely getting out the 'Sam, this is Cas. Cas, this is my little brother, Sammy' before he started talking about various things, switching topics and subjects randomly. Sam was in the backseat, listening as he looked out the window, mumbling a 'He said that? Sheesh' every now and then and a few 'Yes's and 'No's in response to a few of the questions Dean asked him.

It looked like Castiel wasn't the only one Dean talked to a lot. He was a chatter-box all the time, then. But it was the way he looked when he talked that seemed to matter. His expression was softer now than it had been at school, and he appeared more relaxed. Whether that was because they were out of school or because Sam was in the car or a combination of both, Castiel wasn't sure.

They arrived at a small café-looking place soon enough. Castiel had never been here before, but then, he hadn't been much of anywhere in this town since he'd arrived. He didn't get out much, as Dean put it.

They got a table and ordered three milkshakes; a vanilla one for Dean, a chocolate one for Castiel, and a strawberry one for Sam.

"So, what's this play about you guys are doing?" Sam asked casually as they waited on their milkshakes.

"I'm drunk and call him from a party so he can take me home," Dean said with a shrug. "That's mostly it, I guess. We haven't really gotten to rehearse much 'cause Anna gave Ruby, Jo, Hunter, and Aeron this really long one, so they've been practicing."

Sam nodded as though all of those names were familiar to him. They probably were, Castiel realized. He had maybe even met them before.

"Easy lines?" Sam asked as though interested.

"Mostly," Dean said. "It's the actions that are gonna be confusing, though. I've gotta act all drunk."

"Should be easy," Sam said with a snort.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Sam." His tone was warning.

Castiel got the feeling they were definitely hiding something. He was missing something here, he knew, but he didn't bother asking. If they wanted to tell him, they could, but until then, he wasn't going to push it.

Their milkshakes were brought to them and it was then that Castiel's eyes went wide as he quickly checked his pockets. He had no money with him.

"Relax," Dean said, resting a hand on his arm as though he knew what was bothering him. "I've got it. This is on me."

"Are you sure?" Castiel asked, feeling guilty. First he'd been shivering so Dean had given him his jacket, and now he was making Dean have to pay for their milkshakes. That didn't seem very fair.

"Yeah, it's fine," Dean said, shaking his head. He turned toward Sam and smiled. "So, Sammy, how was your academic whatcha-call-it?"

"Academic Club," Sam said with a sigh. "It's was fine, I guess."

"Talk to that girl Jess yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Dean."

Dean shrugged. "Just sayin'." He grinned at Castiel. "Sammy's got this crush on this girl, Jess, and he refuses to even talk to her."

"It's not like I can!" Sam muttered.

"Why not?" Dean asked.

"Because…she already has a boyfriend. This guy named Luke."

"Ah. I see. Well, little brother, give it time."

Sam rolled his eyes and Dean took a sip of his milkshake. Castiel started to slurp his down as well.

* * *

"Wha' d'ya mean?" Dean slurred as he blinked stupidly at Castiel, leaning against a wall as thought for balance. Castiel frowned at him and stepped forward slightly.

"You're drunk."

"S' wha' if I am?" Dean questioned, still slurring greatly, staggering a little when he started to move away from the wall. To help him, Castiel moved forward even more and grabbed his arm as though to steady him and keep him from stumbling toward the ground.

"I'm taking you home."

"Lemme 'lone," Dean said, pushing him away with a soft growl, looking somewhat dizzy.

"Come on." Castiel kept a hold of his arm and tugged him forward, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as though to guide him and keep him on his feet at the same time. He had to ignore the warm feeling it brought him. Dean tried to pull away from him and he sighed. "Would you stop? You're hammered."

"Whas your point?"

Castiel shook his head. "You're going home. Now. You called me."

"I'm drunk…you shouldn't take anythin' I say ser'sously."

Castiel sighed. "Yeah, well, I did and now I'm here. Come on."

"Lemme 'lone. Leggo." He tried to tug away. Castiel tightened his hold.

"No. Come on."

"Good job, boys," Anna declared from the sidelines. Castiel was snapped out of it as he looked up and took notice of the others watching them. He'd almost been able to forget about them, what with facing Dean and everything, but now he remembered their presence with startling clarity. It was making him feel somewhat uneasy, but the feel of Dean still in his grasp seemed to warm the chill before it could start.

Dean chuckled. "Thanks," he said, no longer sounding slurred, the dazed expression on his face completely gone as though it had never been there to begin with. He was good at acting drunk, Castiel realized.

Maybe there was a story behind that.

Dean pulled away from him again and this time, Castiel let him, not stopping him even though a part of him sort of wanted to, wanted to keep a hold on him even though he wasn't entirely sure as to why.

"Great job," Dean told him with a grin.

Castiel nodded and smiled back. "Thanks. Not so bad yourself."

"Gee, thanks," Dean said, rolling his eyes, his expression still amused. "We're getting better."

"Yeah."

"Only another week to rehearse."

"Yeah."

"But I think we'll be ready," Dean continued.

Castiel nodded again. "Me too." He already knew his lines. He was just trying to remember exactly when to move toward Dean, grab hold of him, and let go. It was surprisingly hard, what with the conflicting emotions running through him, emotions and feelings he didn't necessarily understand.

But then, maybe that was just the life in Drama Club.

* * *

Sorry if the ending isn't that great...tired...like I said, lol. Anyway! Please let me know what you think! Thanks for reviewing and please continue to do so ;) Thanks so much!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	5. Chapter 5

Here's another chapter ;) Sorry I couldn't post it yesterday...I went to my aunt's and, well, yeah, haha. But how awesome was Friday's episode of Supernatural? Can we agree it was awesome? Cas is back! Anyway, I won't bore you with my rant on Supernatural. Instead, I will present to you another chapter of this story. Okay? Okay. Again, thanks so much for the reviews! They really inspire me and make me want to keep going. Thanks, also, for the ideas. I will keep this story going as long as you guys want to keep reading it, 'kay? Thanks!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Five

School was going better than Castiel would have ever thought possible. He didn't hate his classes, actually paid attention in them, and he didn't feel the urge to fall asleep. He was never in a particularly bad mood, but then how could he be when Dean was in his first period class, friendly and loquacious? Things were going great. He and Dean saw each other every day after school, usually in the Drama Club room, and they rehearsed their lines and got better at acting them out. They would be performing them soon, in a few days. Castiel was both nervous and excited about that. He had never acted before in his life and he wasn't sure how well he was doing, but he was also thrilled. This acting thing was actually kind of fun, if he was honest with himself. He got to be someone else and completely become his character.

Plus he got to be with Dean a lot, which was always a bonus, at least to him anyway. Drama Club was all the more interesting with Dean around. Dean was never absent, it seemed, and neither was Castiel.

Occasionally, they would go out after Drama Club and get milkshakes with Sam. Castiel was really growing to like the Winchesters. Sam and Dean were pretty different from each other, but then weren't all siblings in some way? It wasn't like he and Jimmy were exactly alike - well, they were, but only in appearance. They were identical twins. They had the same looks, same voice, same eyes…but completely different personalities, at least to Castiel, anyway.

Jimmy wasn't quiet like him. Jimmy was more like Dean. Talkative, pretty friendly…he easily made friends and had girls all over him. Castiel looked the same as him but didn't have the girls or the friends or anything. He never had. He just didn't have the right attitude or personality.

But now he had Dean. That was a win in Castiel's book.

But still, he was sure that if Dean and Jimmy were to meet, they would instantly become friends. Dean would like Jimmy more than him and would ignore him, cast him aside like he was nothing, just like most everyone else did. Before, that hadn't bothered Castiel. He hadn't minded not getting the attention, hadn't minded being the background, but now…the thought of it made something ache in his chest, especially at the thought of _Dean_ doing that to him. Dean, of all people. That would be horrible and Castiel did not wish to chance it.

So he didn't bother telling Dean he had a brother. It wasn't like Dean had really asked, anyway. He had never come right out and asked if Castiel had any siblings. Maybe he had assumed that Castiel would mention them if he did, like Dean had with Sam. It wasn't like Castiel was _lying_ to him, he was just…leaving out a few things that were never questioned. That was all. There was nothing wrong with that, right? If Dean had asked, he would have told him he had a brother.

But he still wouldn't have introduced them. It wasn't that he didn't trust Dean enough to introduce him to his family like Dean had with him and Sam. No, it wasn't like that at all. He was just…well…

If he was honest with himself, he was actually afraid. Afraid of being pushed aside for Jimmy, like always. He loved his brother - he really did. Jimmy was great. He was like his closest friend, someone he always had at his side no matter what, someone to confide in and talk to in the late hours of the night. But sometimes…well, mostly just recently, Castiel had been craving the attention Dean had been giving to him. It was like he hadn't even known he'd wanted it, had actually been searching for it, until Dean gave it to him.

And he didn't want that attention to go. He didn't want it to go to Jimmy. Call him selfish, but maybe he was, but he just didn't want it to stop. Maybe it was wrong, how Dean made him feel. Maybe it was, and maybe it wasn't. All he knew was that he liked it.

Currently, he and Dean were in the back of the Drama Club room, behind the curtains on the stage. Behind it was where the props were mostly kept, the ones being used, anyway. Also, that was where people could relax, a large couch and a few comfortable chairs strewn about the place, along with a few tables and a soda machine, along with a water machine. Dean was sprawled out on the couch, his legs thrown across Castiel's as he sat next to him. Dean was throwing a walled up ball of paper in the air and catching it as gravity forced it back down. Castiel sighed, yawning. They were waiting for their turn to rehearse, Jo and the others doing theirs at the moment.

Why Dean was using him as a foot rest, Castiel didn't really know. There had been no seats left and so Castiel had simply lifted Dean's legs and plopped down. Dean had scowled momentarily before stretching out again. Castiel didn't really mind, though. It actually made him feel like he belonged, which was definitely a nice feeling.

Dean sighed and let the paper wad fall to the ground. "I'm tired," he declared.

"That's nice," Castiel told him with a small smirk. "I'll go see when they're going to be done, okay?" Dean nodded and moved his legs for Castiel to stand. Castiel left the back and appeared on the side of the stage, frowning as something, or _someone_, caught his attention.

_What? No…it can't be,_ he thought with wide eyes as he glanced around. No one else seemed to have noticed the guy in the back, not really, or maybe they just though it was him.

What was Jimmy doing here?

Castiel moved out of the shadows and swiftly walked toward the back of the room, where Jimmy was standing in silence, watching everyone with a small smile, as though he found them all interesting. Castiel snatched his brother's arm and hauled him into the room that boasted 'COSTUMES'.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, puzzled. His voice may have come out more harshly than he'd intended, but he couldn't take it back now.

Jimmy frowned at him. "What's wrong, Castiel? Don't you want me here? I said I might stop by."

Castiel searched his mind and landed upon Jimmy's words a few days ago at lunch. He'd stated he might stop by to watch them rehearse at some point. Castiel had finally told his family about the skit he was in so they would leave him alone about 'not participating'. "Oh."

"Oh? What's going on? I thought you were practicing."

"I am - we are," Castiel told him. "But there are other people who need to do so as well, and it's their turn right now."

"Ah," Jimmy said with a nod. "Well then. Why don't you introduce me to everyone? I would love to see who's been entertaining my brother." He grinned as he said this and something twisted in Castiel's stomach.

Introduce him?

Jimmy?

This was what he had feared. He didn't want to tell everyone he had a brother and Jimmy was him. People had probably heard he'd had a twin but then again, maybe not - maybe it depended on who was talking. People had already mistaken him for Jimmy a few times, a few girls who had been looking to 'talk' to him. It had been hilarious to Dean, who had watched as a girl came up and slapped Castiel across the face and then proceeded to kiss him mercilessly before she stomped away in anger. Dean had been laughing too much to question it and Castiel had been too embarrassed to tell Dean about Jimmy at the time, that the girl had been looking for his brother and not him. That night at home, though, Castiel had growled at his brother to stop upsetting the girls because he was getting the retaliation instead.

But that was another story.

Would Dean have mentioned it if he saw someone that looked like Castiel but wasn't him? So he was pretty sure Dean didn't know about Jimmy. He was pretty sure no one in the Drama Club knew about him, or they would have said something by now. Right?

Castiel bit down on his lower lip.

"Well? C'mon," Jimmy said, exiting the room. Castiel sighed and glared at the ground as he followed after him, his head bowed in defeat. This was it. This was where his attention ended. Dean and Jimmy would meet, along with everyone else in Drama Club, and they would inevitably ignore him completely in the end. It was how it always happened. Jimmy was just…better than him. In practically every way.

Anna looked up and frowned when she took notice of the two of them. "Um…what?" she asked as they approached her. She was obviously confused as to why there were two of him, Castiel knew.

"Um…this is my brother, Jimmy," Castiel introduced in a quiet, low voice, glancing up toward the stage. Dean was still in the back - this was good. Maybe he'd even fallen asleep on the couch. He'd been tired, right? Maybe Castiel was worrying for nothing. Maybe things didn't have to end today, at least not between him and Dean. Maybe Dean wouldn't come out from back there and wouldn't see Jimmy at all.

Well…it was nice to hope, wasn't it?

"Your brother?" Anna turned her gaze toward Jimmy, who smiled brightly at her.

"Hello," he said with that flirtatious tone of voice. Anna grinned.

"Hi," she said cheerfully. "I'm Anna."

"I see you've been keeping my brother busy, Anna," Jimmy said.

She shrugged. "We're always somewhat busy in here," she told him. "Castiel has been no trouble, especially compared to Dean." She rolled her eyes.

Castiel frowned and glanced up again to make sure Dean still wasn't coming. Maybe he could get away with this…with not introducing the two of them…

"Dean?" Jimmy asked and then looked at Castiel. "Isn't he that friend you've been talking about?"

Castiel nodded wordlessly, not knowing what else he was supposed to say. Yes, Jimmy knew about Dean. They all did. Dean had been taking Castiel home on days they went out, after all, and thus Castiel had had to tell his family about the guy who owned the Impala.

"Ah," Jimmy said with a grin. "Need to meet him - he has a sweet ride."

"Yeah, his Impala." She shook her head. "He treasures that thing for reasons unknown."

"Some don't get the appeal," Jimmy said with a nod. "So, Cas, you gonna introduce me to everyone?" Jimmy looked at him.

Castiel shrugged. "Jo, Ruby, Aeron and Hunter are practicing on stage." He waved a hand in the stage's direction, still making sure Dean wasn't coming. He wasn't, which was good. "And the others…well, there's Sage and Tawny. I don't know where everyone else is."

"They're out," Anna said. "I told them they didn't have to come in if they weren't rehearsing here. I think they went to practice elsewhere."

Castiel nodded. That made sense. He and Dean did that occasionally.

"So is that everyone, then, that's here?" Jimmy asked, looking around with amusement. He seemed to like this place, this room, and Castiel felt dread coil within him. What if Jimmy really did join Drama Club? Castiel's life might as well have been over, then. More background would consume him. The attention, the friendship, would stop. He was almost certain.

He nodded before he could stop himself. Lying to his brother wasn't something he was proud of, but he couldn't find it in him to say 'no'. He couldn't tell him Dean was there.

"Wait, isn't Dean…?" Anna asked.

"I think he's asleep," Castiel answered honestly, not even feeling guilty when Jimmy frowned at him. It was true, wasn't it? Dean had a habit of falling asleep while at school, no matter where he was or what class he was in or if it was Drama Club. If he could and he was tired, he would most likely fall asleep. And he had been comfortable on the couch. He was probably asleep.

"I can wake him," Anna started.

Jimmy shook his head politely. "No, it's okay - I guess I'll just meet him and the others later. I should probably be going. Tell everyone I said 'hi'."

"Of course," Anna said with a smile. She wasn't flirting, Castiel knew - she was just being nice. She was dating Hunter, after all. "See you around, Jimmy. You're welcome here any time."

_Don't tell him that,_ Castiel thought to himself before he could stop the thought from entering his mind. He loved his brother, he really did, but he honestly didn't want him in Drama Club. That was where Castiel felt like he belonged, had friends, a life separate from his family…and if Jimmy joined…it would all stop.

"Thank you," Jimmy said.

"Cas, I thought you were going to ask a simple question? Honestly, how long does it take to-" came Dean's voice, causing Castiel's veins to run cold as Dean appeared on stage, frowning down at them. "Oh. Uh…two of you?" He jumped down and approached them, rubbing tiredly at his eyes.

"Um…" Castiel started, unsure of what to say with the way Dean's eyes were staring at him, as though he could see right through him.

"I'm his brother, Jimmy," his brother said for him.

"Brother? Twins?" Dean asked, frowning.

"Yeah."

"Huh." Dean paused and then looked at Castiel again. "Why didn't you say-"

"Don't be rude," Anna chided.

"Dude, I'm never rude, you guys just like picking on me," Dean grumbled, crossing his arms. "A guy could get the feeling he's not liked around here."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Jimmy - this is Dean."

Jimmy's eyes lit up. Castiel's stomach dropped.

"Ah, the guy with the Impala," Jimmy said with a smile.

Dean brightened at the mentioned of his beloved vehicle. "Yeah, I am. You a fan too?"

"Impalas are great," Jimmy told him.

Dean chuckled.

Castiel sighed, looking down at the ground. Jimmy and Dean had met. They were talking about cars. The two of them could possibly go on about this for hours, and Castiel would be left on the sidelines, watching them, because he knew next to nothing about cars in general, let alone what kind they were or how they ran or when they were made. A car was a car, right?

And now he was going to lose his friend to a conversation about cars.

* * *

Yep, so Jimmy was introduced ;) Thanks for reading, and please continue to review! They keep me going ;) Thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	6. Chapter 6

First off, I would like to thank everyone for all of your comments! I had no idea this story was going to do so well when I first started, but your comments keep me happy and willing to continue writing ;) So thanks!

Sorry for the wait ;) This chapter is longer than what they normally are, so enjoy! haha. I'm going to be getting into the more serious stuff soon, and I'm sorry if the story feels like it's going really slow and dragging and everything...that was not my intention. Anyway, thanks so much for reading and commenting! I really appreciate it and I love the reviews! They make me want to keep writing this story ;)

If anyone has anything they would really like for me to add in this story, feel free to let me know. Also, if anyone has something they want me to write, I accept challenges, lol ;) But anyway! Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Six

Castiel stepped away from Dean and Jimmy as they continued to talk, their eyes bright and their expressions pleased as they talked about various types of cars. Dean seemed to fancy the older, classic cars while Jimmy liked them but also preferred the newer cars, such as Ferraris and whatnot. Castiel didn't necessarily even know what they were talking about. It wasn't like they were paying him attention, anyway, so he stepped back and sank heavily into a plastic chair at one of the two long tables. Anna joined him.

"You didn't say you had a brother," she said.

He shrugged. "Guess I didn't think it was important," he mumbled, looking over to see Dean and Jimmy still talking. Dean's gaze wandered toward him momentarily and then went back to Jimmy as his brother started to talk again. Castiel propped his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. It was all happening all over again. Dean was going to ignore him now, just like everyone else, and Castiel would be alone. Again.

"Well…it looks like our time for today is almost up," Anna said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I guess you and Dean don't get to rehearse today." Her voice was apologetic but Castiel didn't care. It didn't take away from the fact that Jimmy was here and Dean was talking to him about cars.

Sighing, he stood and walked back toward his brother and Dean, his head bowed low as he stared at the ground. His feet plodded across the ground, heavily laden with a sadness he felt intently within his aching heart. Jimmy smiled at him.

"You didn't tell me Dean was a car fan," he said with a chuckle.

Castiel shrugged, allowing his gaze to wander toward Dean. Dean was staring at him, a strange expression on his face, before he seemed to mentally shrug and look back at Jimmy. "I don't like to go around mentioning how awesome cars are to random people," Dean said with a nod, smiling slightly. "That would make me more than slightly crazy."

"You're already crazy," Anna said as she joined them. "Sorry, Dean, but it looks like today is winding down and you guys won't get to rehearse your skit."

"That's fine," Dean said with a sigh. "The less time on stage, the better." He grinned and she smacked him upside the head before she wandered off to talk to those on stage.

"I guess we should be going then," Jimmy said, glancing at Castiel. "Am I taking you home or him?" He nodded toward Dean.

Castiel bit down on his lower lip. He wasn't sure what to say.

"I can take him," Dean said, surprising him. "We were going to get milkshakes anyway."

"Oh, really? That's nice. Mind if I tag along? I could go for a milkshake myself," Jimmy said with a smile. Castiel felt something twist in his stomach. It wasn't that he didn't want his brother to come…but he didn't. He loved being with his brother, but this time with Dean was _his_, something he'd grown to look forward to and cherish. Dean and Sam were great to him. They gave him attention and talked to him and didn't exclude him like most people did. They didn't treat him as part of the background. But if Jimmy went, they would. He was sure.

So no, he didn't want his brother to go.

Dean paused. "Sorry, but we're going to get my little brother and he's cranky after school and doesn't like being crowded with a bunch of people." He looked at Jimmy apologetically, even as he started moving toward the door. "Maybe we can get together some other time?"

Jimmy nodded, looking a little confused. "Sure, that sounds great." He frowned at Castiel, who was looking at Dean in shock.

Had Dean just…_lied_ to Jimmy? Sure, they were going to go get Sam, as usual, but Sam wasn't really cranky and he seemed to enjoy meeting people and talking to them. He was outgoing, like Dean - at least the two of them had that in common. So why was Dean saying this? Castiel frowned to himself and then mentally shrugged. What did it matter? Dean was saying it was just going to be them and Sam, without Jimmy. Castiel could get on board with that, even though he loved his brother. So he sent Jimmy a smirk and hurried after Dean, who was already leaving the room.

The two exited the school silently. Castiel had taken a jacket this time and now he tugged it on even as Dean did the same, and the two approached the much-loved Impala. Soon they were pulling out of the school parking lot and were heading down the road. Silence incased them for a few moments, not even the radio on as Dean quietly hummed to himself, breathing the rhythm to one of the songs he enjoyed listening to in the car.

Castiel couldn't stand it anymore. He had to ask, had to know. It was eating away at him. "Why…did you say that to Jimmy? About Sam?"

Dean frowned at him momentarily, giving him a sideways glance before he looked back to the road ahead of them. "You didn't seem to eager to take your brother along, so I gave you a way out."

Castiel blinked at him with wide, confused eyes. "But…why?"

"Did you want him to come? Because I can turn around and-" Dean said slowly.

"No," Castiel said quickly. "No, I…actually, you were right. I…wasn't eager to have him come."

Dean nodded. "So what's the problem? If it's the fact that I lied, I can go tell him the truth if you want."

"No, I…it's not that," Castiel murmured, sinking further into the passenger seat.

"Then what?"

Castiel shook his head. "Nothing." After all, what could he possibly say? That he was kind of glad Dean had lied to his brother because he didn't really want Jimmy to come with them to get milkshakes? That he didn't…want to _share_?

Then he mentally flinched because he was thinking like Dean was some object to be owned. He was acting possessive and that certainly wasn't like him. Dean was his own person and could hang out with and talk to who he wanted and when he pleased. So why did it feel so good to know that Dean had seemed to understand that Castiel hadn't wanted Jimmy to come with them? It was like Dean just _got_ him, somehow, and no one had really ever been able to do that before…unless they were family, and even then, there were some errors.

Dean frowned at him. "Are you sure? You okay? I can go back if you want-"

"No, it's fine," Castiel was quick to say, shaking his head. "I…you were right."

Dean paused. "Okay. If you're sure."

"I am."

Dean nodded and the two continued driving.

Dean didn't even seem upset by the fact that Castiel didn't want Jimmy to go with them. He hadn't questioned it, hadn't argued, hadn't done anything like that. He had only explained to Jimmy that he couldn't come, and sure, the reason he had given had been a lie, but it was the thought that counted. The point was, Dean seemed to have chosen his side. _His_. Castiel's. Not Jimmy's.

And that meant a lot to him.

* * *

Jimmy acted strange that night, at least to Castiel, anyway. He was quiet, which definitely wasn't like him, and he stayed up in his room for hours, only coming out for dinner that night. The two didn't share a room anymore, not after they'd moved to this town and this house, which had three bedrooms plus a guest room, meaning there was plenty of extra space and the two didn't have to room together anymore. Castiel wasn't used to having his own room but he was enjoying it.

Except for when times like this happened. Jimmy was prone to bad moods at times and he would lock himself in their room, or, now, _his_ room. Castiel wasn't sure what had brought on the mood but he had to admit he was concerned.

So after he'd done his homework that night, he walked down the hallway upstairs and rapped his knuckles faintly against Jimmy's bedroom door, which held a sign that read 'Beware' in thick red letters against a yellow background. "Jimmy?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jimmy replied.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Castiel pushed the door open and entered the room. Jimmy was on his laptop on his bed and he glanced up to smile faintly at Castiel. "Is everything okay? You've been quiet," Castiel said slowly, frowning at him.

"Everything's fine," Jimmy said.

Castiel nodded slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Hey, I have an idea - why don't me, you, Dean and his little brother go to the movies tomorrow night?"

Castiel shifted uneasily. "Movies?" With Jimmy? And Dean and Sam? It would be a nice way for everyone to meet, he knew, but he didn't like it. He wanted…well. He was selfish so it really didn't matter what he wanted, did it? Being selfish never helped anyone or got anyone what they wanted, and what he wanted was to keep Dean to himself, like some secret friend. He didn't want the attention to stop. "Um…sure…I could ask Dean." He nodded slowly, still not wanting to do this but he knew he couldn't keep pushing this off forever. Sooner or later…

It was going to happen. He almost wanted it to be later so he got to spend more time with Dean, but if he waited…then he would grow even more attached and that would make things all the worse when the inevitable happened.

"Cool," Jimmy said with a grin.

Castiel sighed and tried to hide his growing despair, that feeling of hopelessness tugging eagerly at his chest.

* * *

It was Saturday and it was time to go to the movies. Dean was supposed to be picking him and Jimmy up so they could all ride in the same car. Dean had said that Sam couldn't go because he claimed to have a lot of homework and a project he really needed to work on, which Castiel could understand. Sam took his school work very seriously, which usually made Dean roll his eyes even though Castiel knew Dean was proud of his little brother. He could see it in the way his expression softened and he smiled when talking about Sam's grades and schoolwork.

Castiel shifted nervously as he waited outside with Jimmy. They would have waited inside except that Jimmy had wanted to swing in the hammock on the porch, and so Castiel had joined him outside. What if Jimmy and Dean just left him there or something? No, better to be outside so they had to take him along as well. Dean didn't really seem like the kind of person to do that, but it had happened before. People weren't always who Castiel thought they were. People changed, picked favorites, ignored others…it sucked out loud, to put it in Dean's terms, but it did happen.

Soon the Impala came rumbling down the street and pulled up next to the curb. Jimmy and Castiel moved off the porch and toward the car before they got in. Jimmy got into the passenger seat because he reached the car first, and Castiel sighed, crestfallen as he climbed into the back seat, alone and seemingly unwanted. He felt eyes boring into him and glanced up to meet Dean's green orbs in the rearview mirror. Dean appeared to be frowning, looking a little confused, before he seemed to mentally shrug and glance at Jimmy.

"Rules of the car," he stated in a stern tone of voice, as though he were some official, "are as follows: Rule 1, don't mess up anything in my car. Rule 2, driver picks the music and shotgun shuts his cakehole. And rule 3, do not contradict me." Dean smiled. "Okay?"

Jimmy chuckled and shook his head. "Right, you're the man of the car. Got it. Let's go."

Castiel slumped in the back seat, folding his arms across his chest.

Dean pulled the car away from the curb. "Cheer up back there, grumpy," he said. Castiel looked up and caught his gaze in the rearview mirror again.

"Cassie's in a bad mood," Jimmy said with a shrug. "He has been all day."

"Cassie?" Dean asked with a smirk. "I'm so going to have to start calling you that." He chuckled and then paused. "Why are you in a bad mood, Cas?"

Castiel shrugged and said nothing. It wasn't like he could tell Dean the real reason, anyway. He would just look silly if he did and then no one would talk to him for being so selfish. Jimmy and Dean could be friends if they wanted, right? Who was he to stop them?

"Hmm. Well. Let's see if we can change that by the time the movie is over, eh?" Dean asked with a chuckle, the expression on his face set in determination, as though this was a challenge he was willing to accept. Castiel blinked at him momentarily, trying to ignore the warm feeling that coursed through him at Dean's words. Dean didn't seem to be ignoring him, but he couldn't let that fool him. Jimmy was in the passenger seat, after all, and Dean didn't seem to have any problems with it.

The rest of the drive was…hard. For Castiel, anyway. Jimmy and Dean talked enthusiastically in the front seat while the rock music played quietly in the background, where Castiel seemed to reside, trying to sink further and further into the backseat, keeping his eyes tightly closed as though to stop the formation of tears. He couldn't cry. He was selfish.

When they got to the movie theater, Dean walked in the middle of them, casting Castiel strange glances that were mostly puzzled. What that was about, Castiel didn't know, and he didn't bother asking. He was just happy Dean wasn't avoiding his gaze, was actually looking at him like he _wasn't_ part of the background. That was nice. Really nice. And it made him feel warm.

They got their tickets, popcorn and drinks and then made their way toward their preferred movie. Dean sat in-between the two of them since he had the popcorn so they could all share. The movie started and Castiel sighed heavily.

Dean nudged his shoulder after a few minutes and nodded at the popcorn. Though Castiel wasn't really a fan of popcorn, he took a handful and nodded his head in thanks before he shifted his gaze back toward the screen.

Occasionally, he heard Dean and Jimmy talking quietly and then he'd hear one of them chuckle. They were having a good time…without him. He was just like the third wheel, there only because he had to be simply because Dean had known him first. Sucking in a deep breath, he gathered up enough strength to stand and swiftly walk from the room, leaving Jimmy and Dean to stare after him in confusion.

He paced in the men's room afterward. How long he was there, he wasn't sure. He just didn't want to go back out there and face his brother and his friend…was Dean still his friend? Probably not. He probably was happily talking to Jimmy now, ignoring the fact that Castiel had even gotten up and left. The thought made him sigh and sink heavily to the ground, his back against the wall as he sat in one corner of the bathroom.

The door to the bathroom opened. He glanced up, expecting to see some guy with a confused, disgusted look on his face at the sight of him just sitting on the floor in the bathroom, but instead, Dean came through the door, looking relieved when his green eyes landed on him.

"There you are," he breathed, shaking his head. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"You…have?" Castiel asked, confused. Why would Dean have been looking for him?

"Well, duh," Dean said, frowning at him. "You just up and left, man. What the hell?"

Castiel glared at the ground, averting his gaze.

"So…what are you doing sulking in the bathroom?"

"I'm not sulking," Castiel said, even though he knew he was.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Right, and I'm Christopher Columbus." He shook his head and sank down next to Castiel, sitting next to him. For a moment, the two sat there in silence. Castiel was confused - why was Dean doing this? "So…are you going to come back to the movie or what?"

"I…" Castiel didn't really know what to say. The thought of going back in there…well. He didn't like it. He didn't like seeing Dean and Jimmy ignore him. He didn't like feeling like a third wheel. He'd had too much of that in his life and the thought of Dean doing it to him…

Well. It hurt more than he would have thought.

"Or we can hangout here, I guess, though I really don't like the idea of sitting around in a bathroom like some crazy perverts," Dean said with a sigh as he shook his head. "You wanna tell me what's wrong with you? You've been acting weird."

Castiel shook his head.

"You're gonna have to talk one way or another."

"…Why are you here?" Castiel asked him quietly, his voice barely audible.

"What do you mean?" Dean sounded confused.

"Why are you here…with me…and not out there…with…"

"Jimmy?" Dean supplied.

Castiel nodded slowly.

"Why should I be? You're my friend, right? Forgive me, but I happen to be the kind of person that worries when their best friend disappears to go sulk in the bathroom."

"I told you, I'm _not_ sulking-" Castiel started before Dean's words fully caught up to him. "You…Your best friend?"

Dean nodded, frowning at him. "Well, yeah. Why?"

"You think I'm your best friend?"

"Um…yeah? What's wrong with you? You're acting weird, Cas."

"I just…um…I thought…"

"Thought what?" Dean asked, frowning. "That I would actually ignore you and only talk to Jimmy? That's so-" He took notice of the look on Castiel's face and his own expression darkened. "God, that's really what you think, isn't it? Am I that bad of a person to make you think-"

"No," Castiel interrupted. "No, it's not you." He didn't like the thought of Dean blaming himself. He wasn't a bad person - he was great.

"Then…?" Dean asked.

"I just…it's happened before." Castiel took in a deep breath, feeling uneasy at talking about this, even if it was with Dean. "Jimmy, he…"

"…Gets all the attention?" Dean asked quietly.

Castiel nodded. "Yeah…exactly."

"And you feel left out. Like you…don't belong."

Castiel flinched and nodded once more, keeping quiet this time. It was like Dean knew exactly what he was thinking, what he was going to say. But how?

"I see."

Castiel frowned and glanced at him.

"I know how you feel," Dean said slowly.

"What? How?" Castiel asked, because as far as he could see, Dean wasn't ignored. But then he thought back to what he had originally thought when Dean had first started talking to him all the time, when he'd mused on how much Dean had talked. A chatter-box.

_Dean rambled on and on and Castiel had the vague impression that maybe people didn't listen to him very often, and so Dean just talked to talk. It seemed that people often disregarded what he said and so maybe he found it nice that someone wasn't interrupting him…_

Dean shrugged. "I just do. Can we get up now? I don't think these floors are clean and I'm afraid to find out what I just stuck my hand in."

Castiel nodded slowly, still frowning. Was Dean ignored like him? But how? Everyone seemed to pay attention to him…right? Dean stood and held a hand out for Castiel, which he took gratefully.

Before they exited the bathroom, Dean turned to Castiel and eyed him carefully.

"…What?" Castiel asked after a moment.

"Are we…good?" Dean asked.

"Um…yeah. Yeah, we are," Castiel replied truthfully.

Dean wasn't going to ignore him. He wasn't a third wheel…at least where Dean was concerned.

Smiling, he felt better than he had in a while.

Because he still had Dean.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Not sure when I'll feel compelled to write the next chapter, but hopefully it will be soon, haha ;) Please review! I really appreciate it! Thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry this chapter is so short. I was going to wait and post a longer one later, but then I figured I'd go ahead and post this so you guys wouldn't have to wait so long, haha. Anyway, sorry for the cliffhanger ;) This story has taken a different direction. It was going to be all happy/lovey-dovey/comfort and everything like that, but now I've decided to take a darker route. When I first started writing this, I was in a never-ending good mood...at least it seemed that way. Now I'm back to my usual mood and I need some angst ;) lol so bad things are going to start happening as the story progresses and it will carry Dean and Cas through their strange, evolving relationship and everything, and I hope it will help make the characters better, in my opinion anyway. Don't think it's going to be all bad stuff and no humor from now on - that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying a few darker elements will be thrown in ;) kay? Kay. Instead of this story being mainly about how Castiel evolves and how Dean seems to save him from himself, it's going to be about how they both seem to save each other, which I think is better. lol Anyway, enjoy!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Seven

"Wha' d'ya mean?" Dean slurred as he blinked stupidly at Castiel, leaning against a wall as thought for balance. Castiel frowned at him and stepped forward slightly.

"You're drunk."

"S' wha' if I am?" Dean questioned, still slurring greatly, staggering a little when he started to move away from the wall. To help him, Castiel moved forward even more and grabbed his arm as though to steady him and keep him from stumbling toward the ground.

"I'm taking you home."

"Lemme 'lone," Dean said, pushing him away with a soft growl, looking somewhat dizzy.

"Come on." Castiel kept a hold of his arm and tugged him forward, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as though to guide him and keep him on his feet at the same time. He had to ignore the warm feeling it brought him, or at least he tried to, but that was getting harder and harder to do these days. Dean tried to pull away from him and he sighed. "Would you stop? You're hammered."

And so they continued performing their skit. Having Dean close like that was definitely a bonus, a happy moment in Castiel's day, and he did enjoy the fact that the two got to touch so much during the skit. Even though Dean didn't feel the same - because, really, why would he? - it was still a wonderful feeling. Castiel felt like he belonged, like he actually had friends, and Dean was great to him.

Life seemed to be going well.

"Congrats, guys," Anna said as the two of them got off the stage. "I'm going to be picking a few of the skits to perform next month at the theater, and I think you guys might get picked."

"No," Dean said, eyes wide. "No, no, no. I don't even _want_ to act, damn you!"

"Was it really that bad?" Anna asked with a smile.

"That's besides the point," Dean grumbled, crossing his arms. Rock music echoed around them and for a moment, Castiel was startled, confused as to where it was coming from, but then Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. It was red in color, with flames licking the sides. Castiel had the impression Dean had done the flames himself, seeing as how he hadn't seen a phone with flames on it before. He liked Dean's phone. Too bad he didn't have a cell phone of his own, though… "Sammy?" Dean asked, his brow furrowing in confused. Hurried rumblings came from the other side of the phone and Dean's eyes went wide. He turned away from him and Anna and ran his fingers through his short hair. "Shit. Listen, go to your friend's house, okay? Now."

Why did Dean sound so urgent? What was wrong? Concern flared in Castiel's chest but he kept his words back, frowning. Anna shook her head and gently touched Dean's shoulder before she walked away, leaving Castiel to wonder if she knew what was going on. If so, why didn't she say anything? He wanted to know what was happening.

"I'll pick you up there later," Dean promised, his back still turned to Castiel. "I'll deal with him. Aren't I always? See ya." He hung up and slid the phone back into his pocket before he heaved a large sigh, shaking his head as though muttering to himself. Then he turned and faced Castiel. "Look, I have to go…I can take you home now or you can call someone, I guess, but I really have to go. I'm sorry." He blinked at him with apologetic green eyes.

Castiel frowned. "Is everything okay, Dean?" he asked, concerned at the wild look in Dean's eyes.

Dean nodded, his expression blanking somewhat, a muscle jumping in his jaw. "Yeah. Yeah, everything's fine. So?"

"Um…I can call someone…if you want."

"I can take you, it's no problem," Dean said, "it just has to be now. Is that okay or do you want to stay here until the end and have someone come get you?"

"I'll go with you," Castiel said. He was worried about how Dean was behaving at the moment, as to why he was acting this way. He didn't believe everything was 'okay', as Dean had told him. He knew it wasn't. Something was wrong but he just couldn't place it.

Dean nodded once and then started walking out of room 124, leaving Castiel to follow after him silently. Dean's shoulders were tensed, hunched up as though he were trying to keep something to himself. His eyes were narrowed and wild, which certainly did not make for a good mix. He wasn't sure if Dean was worried and anxious about something or if he was angry, looking for a fight. He had never seen either expression on his face before, and it worried him that it was happening now.

What had Sam called about? What was going on?

The two climbed into the Impala. Dean didn't even turn the radio on, just peeled out of the parking lot. "Seatbelt," Castiel reminded him worriedly, frowning at him from the passenger seat. Dean grumbled something silently and then snapped the belt across him, his grip tight on the steering wheel, turning his knuckles the color of snow. "Dean…what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Cas. It's…Everything's fine," Dean told him, but Castiel knew he was lying. His voice was too flat, too…not _Dean_. It was different from the exuberance it normally held, the cheerful nature…what was going on? It was only serving to worry him further.

"…Are you sure?" Castiel asked worriedly.

"Yeah." Short, simple, stern.

Dean obviously didn't want to talk about it. But Castiel was worried that if he didn't talk about it, something would happen. Maybe it would eat him up inside if he kept it in, and Castiel wanted to help him. Dean had certainly helped him, probably more than either of them realized. Before Dean, Castiel had been shy, quiet…and he certainly hadn't felt like he belonged. He hadn't thought it possible to feel like this…until Dean came along. Castiel felt like he owed it to him to at least _try_ and help, even if there was nothing he could do. Besides, seeing Dean like this wasn't right.

"Dean…"

"Drop it, Cas," Dean said, his voice not harsh but without emotion. Then he paused. "Sorry. I just…don't want to talk about it. Okay?"

"…Okay," Castiel said slowly, his frown deepening. He wasn't upset that Dean had gotten snippy with him - no, he was worried. Dean behaving this way was…completely and utterly wrong. He settled back in his seat, casting puzzled, worried glanced toward Dean every few minutes as the silence dragged on.

It lasted until Dean arrived at Castiel's house. Castiel opened his door and looked back at Dean.

"Are you…sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Cas," Dean said, offering him a weak version of his usual charismatic smile. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay. If you're sure…" Castiel shook his head and climbed out of the car.

Dean sped off and Castiel watched him go.

Sure, maybe it was none of his business…but he felt like he needed to _make_ it his business, if this kept up. This was strange, confusing, and completely unlike Dean.

Something was wrong.

* * *

Dean wasn't at school the next day.

Castiel kept looking up each time someone entered first period. Dean sometimes came in late, so maybe he would today, right? Dean was rarely ever absent - he'd only ever been absent once since Castiel had been here, and that was so he could look after Sam, who had been sick. That was before Castiel had met the younger Winchester, though. Then, Castiel hadn't had this twisting, uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

So why did he today?

Dean wasn't at school.

Something was wrong.

He could feel it twisting violently in his gut but he didn't know what to do or how to make it stop.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted. I have recently (today) gotten the urge to start a story I thought of a few weeks ago called I'm Not Crazy, and it's an original fiction so it won't be on this site. But anyway, if I don't post for a few days, it's because of that and because I have the PSAT test on Wednesday and a Psych 101 test on Wednesday as well. I also have writing club tomorrow so that will take away from some of my freetime. So the update might not be for a few days, depending on when I feel the urge and how powerful it is. Then again, I might update quickly since I'm doing a little more dark stuff, eh? But anyway. I want this story to progress as slowly as it has been simply because I think it's a fairly good pace for what I want to do. I'm going to stop talking now 'cause this is getting long and I didn't intend for it to be. Anywho, thanks again for reading and thank you all so much for the reviews! Please continue to do so!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	8. Chapter 8

O.o I'm so sorry I've taken so long to update! What with that PSAT test and my Psych test, I had a lot on my plate, plus I had a headache that lasted for a few days. I'm sorry! But here's the next chapter, and then you will LOVE what happens in chapter nine! I will try and hurry and get it written and posted by tomorrow, but again, no promises. I will certainly update sooner, lol. Sorry again for taking so long. I also wanted to take a moment and thank you all for the reviews! I really appreciate them all! Thanks so much you guys! You really make me want to continue writing, even when I feel like procrastinating, hehe. So thanks!

Okay, I have the next two chapters planned out...sort of. Depends on if I make the next chapter long or not. Anyway, after that, I'm lost because it was supposed to end around chapter ten or eleven. Sorry, but that was the plan. But I will gladly make it longer and do more storylines with it if you want me to! Thanks again for reading! Let me know!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Eight

Drama Club wasn't the same without Dean. There wasn't laughter or cheeriness as there usually was, and it was really starting to make Castiel feel increasingly uneasy with the whole situation. Everyone seemed quieter and more solemn and he wanted to ask them if they knew something he didn't, but didn't want to pry in case Dean didn't want him to know or something. That kind of hurt, though. There was something Dean wasn't saying, but hadn't he said they were best friends? Why wouldn't he tell Castiel, then? Did he not trust him enough or something?

He vowed to himself that if Dean wasn't at school tomorrow, he was going to get to the bottom of this and find out what was wrong. Sighing, he waited impatiently in the school parking lot for Jimmy, who was supposed to be picking him up today. He'd talked to his brother in the hallway earlier and told him that Dean wasn't at school again and that he needed a ride home, and Jimmy had promised to be here when Drama Club ended, yet Castiel still remained waiting. He couldn't really take his frustrations out on his brother, though - that wouldn't be fair.

He wished he had a cell phone so he could call Dean and see that everything was okay. Maybe he would call later, on the home phone. Yes, he decided - that was what he was going to do. He couldn't get rid of that horrible, uneasy twisting in his stomach. Something was wrong…but why he thought that, he wasn't really sure. Maybe it was because Dean was rarely ever absent, and never two days in a row unless absolutely necessary, it seemed. Also, people in Drama Club were behaving strangely, which left Castiel to believe that, yes, something was really wrong.

And he wanted to know what.

* * *

The phone rang and rang as he tried to call Dean later that night, after supper. No one was answering and soon the answering machine picked up with a seemingly robotic version of Dean's usually cheery voice. Castiel frowned to himself and tried Dean's cell instead. It rang several times and just as he was about to hang up, a heavy, tired voice mumbled, "Yeah?"

Castiel paused. "Dean?" he asked softly, sitting on his bed in his room, his frown deepening. "Is…are you okay?" Dean didn't exactly sound like himself.

There was a long pause. "Cas?" Dean asked slowly, as though confused. "Um…yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I was just sleeping, is all." There was a loud yawn through the phone and he could hear the sound of springs moving, probably from Dean sitting up in bed. "Was there something you wanted?"

"No, I just…um…You haven't been at school," Castiel said quietly, feeling himself flush. Had he really called Dean over something so seemingly trivial as him missing school? Didn't every get sick once in a while? Dean certainly sounded tired.

Another yawn. "Yeah, sorry. I should be there tomorrow."

"…Are you sick?"

"Uh…kind of, I guess." Dean sounded hesitant and Castiel had the distinct impression he'd just been lied to. "I'll be there tomorrow, okay? Promise."

That eased the tense knot in Castiel's stomach a little. Dean didn't seem like the kind of person to make promises he didn't plan to keep. Or at least, Castiel thought so. He released a slow breath full of relief and then pressed the phone against his ear again. "Okay."

"Have you been getting home okay?" Dean asked, his voice suddenly guilty.

"Yeah, Jimmy's been coming to get me," Castiel said, a little perplexed. Why would Dean feel guilty? It wasn't his fault he was sick or whatever. Besides, he'd be there tomorrow so it was all good, right? "Is…everything okay?"

"…Yeah," Dean said with a sigh. "Yeah, everything's fine. Well…I'll be there tomorrow, okay? I gotta go fix dinner for Sammy."

Dean cooked? Castiel had no idea. "Oh, um…okay. Sure." Why couldn't his father cook? Wasn't he the parent and adult? Then again, maybe he was working or something, which made sense. The doubt eased a little from Castiel's mind. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya," Dean promised as he hung up. Castiel sighed and hung up as well.

Hopefully Dean would be there tomorrow, like he'd promised. Castiel knew he probably sounded more than a little clingy, but he couldn't quite help it. Dean was his first friend in a long time, his first best friend, and…there was certainly no denying that warm feeling he felt when Dean was near him. There was definitely something there, even if he couldn't quite place what it was just yet.

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face and fell back onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

He hoped Dean was right and things really were 'fine'. For some reason, he still felt a nagging doubt. He hoped that seeing Dean tomorrow would help ease that, because it was beginning to make him very uneasy.

* * *

Castiel arrived at school earlier than usual. Not because he was excited to see Dean, but because Jimmy apparently had homework to finish before class started and thus had driven them to school earlier. Seeing Dean would just be a bonus in Castiel's mind. He made his way to his first period class and yawned as he entered the room. Dean wasn't there yet but that was fine. It was still pretty early.

He sat in his seat sighed heavily, glancing at the clock. He kept telling himself he was doing it because he was bored and not because he wanted to see Dean, but he knew he was lying to himself. So when Dean finally walked through the door, Castiel had a brief moment of relief and excitement at seeing his friend again, but that quickly vanished when he took notice of Dean's face. There was a long cut on his left cheek, which still looked raw and pretty sore. There was dark bruising around it, too. Dean yawned as he sat next to him and smiled.

"Hey, Cas."

"What happened?" Castiel asked immediately, unable to stop himself. Hadn't Dean said he'd been sick? What had he been doing that had gotten him that cut?

Dean blinked at him. "Huh? Oh, the cut. Right." He nodded to himself. "It's nothing. Got into a fight."

"A fight?"

"Yeah." Dean shrugged as though it were no big deal.

Castiel frowned. "I thought you said you were sick…who could you have fought with?"

Dean narrowed his eyes at him. "I just did. Okay?"

"…Okay…" But who would want to fight Dean? As far as Castiel knew, everyone seemed to love him. Dean was a very likeable, cheery person who seemed to befriend everyone, even Castiel. So who would want to fight with him? Who would want to hurt him? It didn't quite make much sense to him, not really. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Dean sighed heavily. "I'm sure. Okay? Can we please drop it?"

"I suppose," Castiel murmured. "So…you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Cas. Honest." He grinned at him.

Castiel had to admit that he'd missed that grin.

But still, he couldn't get over the fact that Dean was hiding something. Something bad, probably. Was he really okay? The concern darkened Castiel's mind but before he could question Dean on it, more kids started piling into the room and he knew the conversation was over.

* * *

It was strange, but no one mentioned the cut on Dean's face or the bruising in Drama Club. Dean received a few concerned looks and a few sympathetic ones, but no one said anything about it and Dean seemed content to leave it that way. Castiel, on the other hand, found it weird how no one seemed to really care that Dean had gotten into a fight. How could they seemingly be so callous about it while it was tearing him up inside, wondering what had happened?

He intended to figure it out. He would, soon.

Jimmy appeared outside the room and Castiel quietly excused himself so he could go talk to him. "Dean back?" Jimmy asked.

Castiel nodded slowly, wondering how much to tell his brother. "Yeah…"

"What's wrong? Isn't that good?" Jimmy asked, frowning at him.

Castiel shrugged. "Yeah, but…I think he's hiding something."

"Something? Like what?" Jimmy questioned.

Another shrug. "I don't really know. He says he got into a fight but…" He shook his head, sighing heavily.

"Hmm…"

"But, um…I think he's taking me home today. So you don't have to."

Jimmy nodded and then smiled. "Oh! The reason I came to get you. Mom called me at lunch and said to invite Dean for dinner some night, her and Dad would like to meet him."

Castiel paused. Dean? At his house? For dinner? He nodded slowly. "Um…sure…okay. I'll, um, tell him…"

Jimmy nodded. "Cool. Take it easy, Cassie. See ya later." He turned and walked away and Castiel entered room 124 again.

Dean smiled at him and walked toward him. "Hey, where'd you go?"

"Jimmy wanted to talk to me," Castiel told him.

"Ah, I see." Dean nodded.

Castiel sighed and watched as the others joined the two of them, talking about various skits that happened in the past, skits that Castiel knew absolutely nothing about.

He hoped everything was going to be okay now. He hoped that uneasy feeling within him was misplace and that there was really nothing wrong, nothing to be worried about.

He hoped.

* * *

Sorry if this chapter is bad...it's mostly pretty slow. The main things are to be coming soon, promise! Anyway, let me know about how long you want me to make it! Otherwise it will probably end here in a few chapters. Thanks so much! Please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the delay...hehe...This chapter wound up being longer than I'd intended, and it went in a completely different direction. For example, the whole 'laser tag' thing? Yeah. Not planned. Random mood led to random writing, which...yeah...but I hope you like it! I think I know what's going to happen in chapter ten but with this whole change in this chapter, I might change the next chapter as well ;) Either way...there will fun ahead! And darkness...and angst...and possibly love...if I feel like it...lol ;) Anyway, thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I love them all! I know I stopped replying to them but I will start back up soon, hehe. I've just been busy. Sigh. Damn life... ::grumbles:: anyway...thanks again. You guys keep this story going.

And you guys asked for longer ;) So the story will probably be around 20 chapters now. Hurrah! Maybe longer, depending on how much I want to put in here. Tell me, do you guys just want one long one or would you like a sequel? It's up to you, I guess, hehe, or I can just put it all in this one but it might get confusing later ;) Thanks! Let me know!

Oh and I apologize ahead of time if I completely botched laser tag...I've only played twice. Sad sigh. But I love it! Anyway...you're probably tired of me talking about nothing, eh?

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Nine

Dean wasn't very receptive to the whole 'invited to dinner' ordeal, which confused Castiel at first. Didn't Dean want to go? He could see the hesitation each time Dean said no, and then the regret written across his friend's face each time he did so. It was like he wanted to go but something was stopping him. Castiel didn't want to push the issue, as he could tell more than a few things were bothering his friend. So he dropped the subject for the time being, and the cut on Dean's face healed pretty quickly in the next week.

Things, to Castiel, were going okay. He got to see Dean a lot through the week, and even sometimes during the weekend, when Dean would call him and the two would just randomly go on a drive that served no purpose except to 'get away', as Dean put it. Sometimes Sam went with them but more often than not, it was just him and Dean…and he liked that. Spending time with Dean was really beginning to make him feel…more than a little strange. He felt warm inside, warm, light, and somewhat fuzzy and sick to his stomach, if that made any sense. His emotions grew conflicted and confused when Dean was near, especially when he bothered to touch Castiel in anyway, be it a friendly thump on the back, a lighthearted arm around the shoulder, or just a simple high-five…which Dean seemed rather fond of.

Castiel was actually kind of nervous about being around Dean too much. And to think of the two of them, alone in his room if Dean ever came to dinner…well, that thought always led to Castiel flushing deeply and hurrying to cover his face as soon as possible, lest someone see and prod him for information as to why his face was turning so red. If Dean were to see it, he would keep nagging for details and then Castiel might actually spill what he was feeling, and that could never happen. So he was a little glad that Dean wasn't too thrilled about going to dinner at his house. It just meant a nagging thought was put away in the shadows of his mind.

"Hey, Sammy and I are going to play laser tag this Saturday," Dean commented casually as he leaned against the locker next to Castiel's. He always insisted on walking with Castiel in the hallways, even though some of their classes were in completely different directions. Castiel had told he didn't have to at the beginning of the year, but now he didn't bother…besides, he liked the attention.

"That's cool," Castiel said. He had never played laser tag before but he'd heard Dean talk about it often enough that he knew it sounded pretty fun. "Have fun."

"Yeah." Dean paused and then shifted his gaze away. "I was actually going to ask if you wanted to come along as well. It'll be fun," he promised.

Castiel paused and frowned at him. "You…want me to go?" he asked just to make sure he was hearing correctly. "Really?"

Dean frowned. "Well, yeah," he said. "You're my friend and you've never gone, so…" He shrugged. "I just thought it'd be fun. Me and you could totally take on Sammy." He grinned. "That kid is freakin' sneaky. Not to mention he's too quiet. We should really put a bell around his neck."

Castiel arched a delicate brow at him. "Are you sure you want me to go?"

"Yeah…but you don't have to if you don't want to," Dean said. "I understand."

And Castiel knew that Dean did. He seemed to be able to understand Castiel better than most people lately, including his brother.

"No, it's fine," Castiel told him with a smile, feeling that warm, fluttery feeling flicker in his chest, coursing along with the pulsing of his heart. "I'd love to go. What time?"

"Probably around six…we'll go eat and then go."

"That sounds fine."

"Cool," Dean said, grinning.

Castiel nodded, smiling back at him.

* * *

To Castiel, Saturday couldn't come quick enough. And once it did, six o'clock couldn't arrive fast enough. He paced in his room, growled at his brother, and kept checking the clock. Jimmy finally just barged into his room and glared at him until Castiel sat down on the bed.

"What the hell is up with you?" Jimmy asked, frowning deeply. "You're acting all strange, man."

Castiel sighed and shrugged. "I don't…know. I guess I'm just…nervous…"

"Nervous? Why?" Jimmy questioned, cocking a brow at him.

Castiel shrugged again, looking at the ground as he averted his gaze. "I don't know…I've never played laser tag." That wasn't the real reason why he was nervous, but there was no way he was actually going to tell Jimmy that he was really nervous because it was more time together with Dean. Those twisting feelings in his stomach kept making him eager and anxious at the same time, which left him exhausted at the end of the day.

Jimmy sighed. "Cassie-" he started, but was cut off by the sound of Dean honking outside. He'd finally arrived. Castiel checked the clock and smiled. It was finally time.

"See ya," he said with a bright smile, leaving Jimmy to stare after him in confusion as he darted from the room and quickly exited the house, climbing into Dean's Impala.

"Hey," Dean greeted with a grin as he started pulling away from the curb.

"Hey," Castiel said in return. He glanced at Sam in the backseat and smiled.

Sam smiled back. "How have you been?"

"Uh…pretty good," Castiel replied.

"Where do you guys wanna eat?" Dean asked, glancing at them momentarily and then returning his gaze toward the road.

"Doesn't matter to me," Sam said with a shrug. "Cas?"

Castiel shrugged as well.

"Right. Cheeseburgers it is, then," Dean said with a smile.

Castiel chuckled while Sam rolled his eyes in the backseat.

"There's more to life than cheeseburgers, Dean," the younger Winchester commented.

"Says the kid who's too scared to talk to a girl," Dean threw back with a laugh.

Sam scowled heavily at the back of Dean's head while Castiel watched them. "She's got a boyfriend! You don't know!"

"Oh, I know," Dean drawled. "Been there, done that, totally lived to tell the tale. Talk to her, Samantha."

Sam sighed and kicked the back of Dean's seat. "Jerk."

"Bitch," Dean replied with a grin.

Castiel hid a smile. He liked watching the brothers interact like this. It made him think that maybe things were right with the world and there was really nothing to worry about. It actually made the fluttering knot in his stomach ease and calm down, for which he was grateful.

Maybe tonight would be a great night.

* * *

They arrived at the laser tag arena a little after seven that evening. Dean went on ahead to pay for them and get their vests and guns while Sam and Castiel waited in the main lobby, outside of a door that read 'LASER THIS!' written in large, dark red letters. Dark smoke filtered through the cracks in the door, but Dean and Sam had already warned Castiel of this so he knew not to worry about it. Apparently, it was supposed to be foggy and smoky in the laser tag room so that it was hard to see people and one could hide more efficiently.

Sam was watching him intently. Castiel felt nervous under his gaze and found himself shifting uncomfortably, averting his gaze toward the ground, silently hoping Dean hurried up and got back to them quickly so Sam would stop looking at him as such. "…What?" he finally asked, unable to stand it any longer.

Sam laughed. Castiel looked up to find the younger Winchester smiling brightly. "Can I ask you something?"

Castiel swallowed. "Like what?"

"Just can I?"

"Um…I guess…" Castiel murmured, frowning deeply. He didn't like where this was going.

"I know my brother can be pretty dense at times, but I'm not," Sam said slowly, as though wondering how to start.

Castiel paused. "You shouldn't talk about your brother like that," he sighed. People seemed to talk down about Dean a lot…not in really so much of a bad way, but in a way where they didn't really believe he was that smart, which Castiel knew he was. He could get straight 'A's if he wanted to.

Sam grinned. "I knew it." He seemed happy.

"Knew what?" Castiel asked, confused.

"You like him."

"W-What?" Castiel stammered, taking a slight step back, his heart beginning to race rapidly. His mind struggled to come up with something to say but all he could do was stare dumbly at Sam as Dean's little brother looked at him with a wide grin.

"You like him. Dean," Sam said as though it were completely obvious…which Castiel hoped it wasn't. He didn't even really understand the emotions himself, so…did he like Dean? Well, sure. Dean was his best friend. Dean seemed to understand him when no one else did. Dean was…well, _Dean_. So yeah…Castiel liked him. "And I don't just mean like a friend, Castiel."

Castiel swallowed thickly. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said, turning away quickly.

Sam opened his mouth to reply but stopped as Dean hurried toward them, grinning as he carried three vests and three guns. "Strap up," Dean told them, handing each of them a vest and a gun. "Aim for any of the lit up areas - you'll see what I mean in the room," he said, probably for Castiel's benefit.

Castiel nodded in thanks but refused to look up, to see whatever expression might have been on Sam's face, and he couldn't meet Dean's eyes. Would Sam be…horrified, that Castiel thought he was actually starting to really _like_ his brother? That he was starting to like Dean? Would he be angry? Disgusted?

"Something wrong, Cas?" Dean asked, worried. He lightly placed a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "You don't have to play if you don't want-"

"It's fine," Castiel grunted, his voice a little harsher than he'd intended. He just wanted to get in the room and get this over with. At least in there, the fog would block Sam's expression. Unless Sam decided to tell Dean…Castiel's gaze shot up quickly, his wide eyes landing on Dean as his friend frowned at him in concern.

"Cas?" Dean asked. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," Castiel stuttered, swallowing thickly.

Dean sighed. "Well…if you're sure…then let's go." He nodded in the direction of the door that would lead them to the fog and smoke.

Castiel nodded and walked next to Dean as they entered the room beyond. Smoke pelted against Castiel like a thick blanket and he was momentarily blinded.

"Have fun! Good luck!" Dean said, and then Castiel heard the distinct sounds of him running away, further into the fog to disappear. Castiel swallowed and then listened as Sam shifted next to him. He didn't want to be left alone with the younger Winchester.

"It's okay, you know," Sam said quietly.

Castiel started walking away. He didn't want to hear any of this.

"And no…it's not…_that_ obvious. I mean it kind of is, but…" Sam trialed off and Castiel felt his heart sink. Obvious? Did that mean other people could see it too? Did Dean? He almost felt sick to his stomach at that thought.

He hurried away from Sam and into the shadows around them, hoping to completely disappear so he didn't have to face Sam or Dean because, surely Sam would tell Dean what he had figured out.

And then Castiel's life would be over.

He almost wanted to cry. He might have, if it wasn't for the fact that Dean suddenly appeared next to him, a foggy grin plastered on his face. "How are you doing?" he asked cheerfully.

"Um…" Castiel started, flushing.

Dean smiled and grabbed his arm, tugging into one of the corners in the room. There were a lot - there were little things, like cardboard almost, that were up all over the room to allow people places to hide and whatnot, and they were now hiding behind one, near one of the actual walls of the room. "We're taking out Sam," Dean declared with a chuckle. "Little bastard's always sneaking up on me." There was a fondness in his voice that let Castiel think that Dean actually _let_ Sam win and it had nothing to do with the fact that Sam was quiet. "You with me, Cas?"

And how could Castiel _not_ be with him when Dean was smiling at him like that, like there wasn't a care in the world? He nodded and Dean grinned.

"C'mon." He grabbed Castiel's arm again and started tugging him through the fog.

Castiel didn't protest, even though his stomach was flipping uneasily. Dean hefted his gun up, getting ready, and then he suddenly fired into the darkness. There was a loud sound as someone's alarm went off on their vests, the laser from the gun hitting its desired location. Some random kid groaned aloud. Dean chuckled and he and Castiel hurried through the fog once more. Castiel was happy for the distraction.

"There he is," Dean suddenly whispered, pulling him in close. His hot breath ran across Castiel's neck as he stood next to him, facing him. "Follow my lead, Cas." He took a step forward and Castiel took in a small breath before he followed suit. Sam appeared faintly through the fog and Dean lifted his gun, aiming his laser at one of the bright places on the back of Sam's vest as the younger Winchester looked around, hunting down someone else. Castiel grinned at Dean's enthusiasm as his friend marched toward Sam like he was in Mission Impossible, his face set in a humorous determination. And yes, Castiel had seen Mission Impossible, despite Dean's beliefs.

Castiel raised his gun as well and the two fired as one. Castiel had to admit, a rush of adrenaline shot through him as he did so, and the alarm for Sam's vest went off, signaling he'd been hit. Dean grabbed Castiel's arm and hurried the two of them out of sight, behind one of the board walls.

The two shared a small laugh as Sam's head darted each way, searching for them, before he sighed and hurried into the foggy darkness around them, away from prying eyes and trigger-finger guns. Dean threw an arm around Castiel's neck and laughed heartily.

A rush flowed through Castiel, his cheeks darkening as he averted his gaze toward the ground, thankful for the fog so Dean couldn't see his face clearly and realize he was blushing. He really needed to get this thing under control…and if he did like Dean like Sam suggested, then…well, he really needed to do something about it so this feeling would stop. Even if he _did_ like Dean…like that, there was no way Dean would ever feel the same. To Dean, Castiel was just a friend, and that was fine.

Thinking about it was really starting to make Castiel's head hurt. He pressed a hand to his temple and Dean frowned at him.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Castiel murmured. "What now?"

"Now we hunt down little boys and girls."

"That sounds strangely creepy."

Dean nodded, smirking. "Indeed it does, Cas. Indeed it does. C'mon." He moved out of the cardboard and spun, suddenly shooting off into the distance with pinpoint accuracy. Another alarm went off and Dean laughed, pumping a fist in the air. "Yes! I am the _king_!"

Castiel smirked and hurried after his friend as Dean darted away again, in the thrill of chasing someone down.

It was nice to see Dean so happy and carefree. It had seemed like there had been a dark cloud followed him this past week, a damper on his mood, his usually exuberant, cheery atmosphere dulled and more quiet, which simply wasn't like him. Castiel liked that he was enjoying himself, which made him enjoy himself in return, despite the fact that when the night was over and they returned to the car, everything would be ruined because surely Sam would bring up the whole 'you like Dean' incident within hearing distance of his brother.

And then Castiel's good time, friendship, acceptance…it would all be over.

Everything.

* * *

Hope you like...hehe ;) Thanks again for the reviews and please continue to do so! They make me oh-so-happy and make me write quicker, hehe. Thanks! I will try to get the next chapter up by Wednesday.

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Four days! Gasp! Anyway, lol, sorry...I planned out the whole story a while ago while in school (...I get bored...) and then just...lost motivation, haha. I can tell you that later, the story is going to take a dark turn ;) But anyway, hope you are enjoying the story so far! Thank you all so much for your reviews! They really make me continue this story, so pat yourselves on the back! I didn't even have a word of this chapter typed until about an hour ago...I looked through some of my reviews and got motivated again ;) So thank you so much! I hope I can do your wonderful reviews justice.

Also, my email/messaging has been messed up lately. On my email, it rarely shows me updates for people's stories or if people have reviewed or anything,, or if they have sent me a message. And in the inbox on this site, it says there's nothing while my email said there were some...so...yeah. I don't know why it's not working, but is anyone else having this problem or am I just that lucky? heh Anyway.

Tonight's episode of Superntural...Well...let's just it was part awesome and part GRRR! First off, Vamp!Dean is awesome! I love him like that! Second of all...Sam is really getting on my nerves. But enough about that! (Though that's partially what motivated me to write more again...)

Sorry if this chapter sucks...I'm sick at the moment with a head cold and my medicine makes me really sleepy...so...hehe yeah I'm a little out of it, I guess you could say. So, sorry for any mistakes/typos/errors/bad characterizations...yeah...anything like that...anyway...

You're probably tired of me talking...and most of you have probably skipped over this beginning section, hehe, so...

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Ten

It was actually a fun night, but it was coming to a close. Dean was smiling all the while, even as they took off the vests and turned in the gear. Castiel liked seeing Dean smile like he was, like he didn't have a care in the world. But he took notice of the looks Sam was sending their way, the strange little grin on the youngest Winchester's face. His good time was about to be ruined, and maybe even his new life as Dean's friend and not just an outcast. Swallowing, Castiel followed Dean and Sam toward the car. They were ahead of him a few steps, joking about who they had managed to shoot and what had happened whilst in the foggy laser tag room.

They climbed into the Impala and pulled out the parking lot and back onto the road. While they were stopped at a red light, Dean glanced at Cas, who was positioned in the passenger seat. "Have fun?" Dean asked with a grin.

Castiel nodded. Really, he'd had a lot of fun. It had been one of the best times of his life, in all honesty, but it was coming to and end and he wasn't sure how this night was going to wind up. He wasn't sure if Sam was going to say something or not. As it was, Sam was in the backseat, watching the two of them with that strange little grin plastered on his face. "I had a great time, actually," he told Dean, trying to ignore the weight of Sam's gaze.

Dean looked back at his brother. "What are you so smiley about, Samantha?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Nothing, Deana," Sam retorted with a smirk of his own.

Dean scowled. "Whatever. You can call me a girl only when you ask out Jess."

"Dean!" Sam groaned in the backseat, causing Castiel to chuckle faintly. Maybe things would be okay after all. Maybe Sam wouldn't say anything, which was what Castiel was hoping for. Hopefully Sam didn't mind that Castiel…liked…his big brother. It was wrong, though, wasn't it? So why wasn't Sam doing something about it? Like telling Dean?

Not that Castiel _wanted_ him to. It was just…why wasn't he? He shifted nervously in his seat and Dean frowned at him, coasting through the light when it turned green finally.

Green. Like the color of Dean's eyes…

_Gah! Stop that,_ Castiel mentally chided himself, feeling himself start to flush. Thankfully Dean was paying attention to the road and not him, so he didn't notice. Sam, on the other hand, looked like he was about to burst out laughing. Castiel sent him a look and Sam sobered quickly, even though he was still smirking like he'd just heard the world's funniest joke.

"Everything okay, Cas?" Dean asked, flipping on the radio and making sure the volume was down low enough that the two could talk.

"Yeah…everything's fine, Dean. I had a great time," Castiel said again, sighing. He didn't want Dean thinking he hadn't had fun tonight simply because he couldn't sit still at the moment.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

Now Sam really did start to laugh. Dean frowned at his little brother in the rearview mirror. "Someone stuff happy pills in your drink or what? What's got you so giggly, Samantha?"

Sam laughed all the more, shaking his head. "Nothing, Dean, nothing," he guffawed.

"Right…" Dean looked skeptical but let it go, sharing a confused look with Castiel, who also couldn't seem to find out what was so hilarious to the younger Winchester. "So…Sam, are you staying at Josh's house tonight?"

"Yeah," Sam replied, his tone somber all of a sudden, his expression serious. Castiel frowned at the sudden change. Then he glanced at Dean to see that his friend's jaw was tense.

"Good. I'll drop you off there, 'kay?"

"Alright."

Castiel wanted to ask why they both seemed so incredibly tense at the moment but figured they obviously didn't want him to know. He didn't want to tread where he was not wanted. He didn't want to cross any lines. Surely they would tell him if they wanted to, right?

* * *

Dean dropped Sam off at his friend's house first and waited until he was sure Sam got inside before he drove off. Then he and Castiel went to get something to drink and some tacos through a drive through and ate in the car on the way back to Castiel's. Castiel had to admit, it was fun. He liked spending time with Dean, after all, especially when it was just the two of them. Maybe Sam was right…maybe he really did like Dean like _that_. The thought kind of scared him a little, though, because surely it was one-sided. There was no way Dean would ever or could over return those feelings.

When Dean pulled up outside of Castiel's house, he looked as though there was something he wanted to say. He was biting down on his bottom lip in that way that meant he was thinking hard about something, Castiel had learned after watching him in class or in stressful situations. Castiel frowned and waited patiently in the passenger seat, vowing to be ready whenever Dean opened his mouth to talk.

Dean finally just shook his head. "I guess I'll see you Monday, Cas." He smiled faintly and Castiel knew it wasn't what Dean had originally been about to say.

He nodded slowly. "Okay…I'll see you then, Dean." He got out of the car and walked up the porch steps and toward his front door. He could feel Dean's eyes on him as he did so, making sure he got in just like he had with Sam. Dean was so caring. No one probably ever saw that, either. Dean didn't seem, initially, to the type who would care, but that was just the rough exterior. Castiel knew him differently, though.

The thought made him smile as he entered his house.

* * *

Monday.

Finally, it was Monday. Time for Drama Club, too, but Dean was nowhere in sight. He had been there throughout the school day, though, and Castiel had seen him just after the final bell, so where was he? He located Anna and asked her.

"Oh, he got a phone call from Sam. He should be back soon, though," she told him with a faint smile. "I'm pretty sure Sam will be with him."

Castiel nodded, happy that Dean was coming back, but confused still. The last time Sam had called during Drama Club, Dean had gone home and wound up missing school for a few days afterward. Of course, he was probably just jumping to conclusions. Maybe Sam didn't have Academic Club today, or he just wanted to come to Drama Club or something. Yeah, that was probably it.

A few minutes later, Dean returned, Sam in tow as he entered the room, smiling when his gaze landed on Castiel. He joined him at one of the long tables. "Sorry I'm late," he said, "had to pick up the squirt over here."

Sam rolled his eyes. "One of these days I'm going to be taller than you," he vowed.

Castiel smirked. Dean was pretty damn tall. A few inches taller than himself, anyway.

"In your dreams, kiddo," Dean told him.

"Whatever."

Sam ran off when he spotted Anna, hurrying toward her to strike up a conversation. Dean sat in one of the chairs next to Castiel, combing his fingers through his hair, giving into a small sigh.

"So how goes Drama Club so far?" Dean asked.

Castiel shrugged. "Anna and Ash are planning something but Hunter's not talking."

Dean smirked and looked at Castiel in the eyes. "We can take him," he said. "Make him talk."

Castiel smirked, looking into Dean's eyes. It was surprisingly hard to look away.

_Stop it, Cas,_ he thought to himself. _Snap out of it. Now!_

He tore his gaze away and sighed, looking down at the table.

"Dean!" Sam called from somewhere behind them. "Can you and Cas do something for me?"

Dean frowned at Castiel and sighed, getting to his feet. "Little twerp's gonna be the death of me," he muttered as he and Castiel moved toward Sam, who was standing by the door labeled 'COSTUMES'. "What?"

"Can you guys get something for me? I don't know where it's at."

"What do you want?" Castiel asked, still happy Sam hadn't said anything to Dean.

"A black cape."

"Why?" Dean asked, quirking a brow. "Decided to become Samantha Extraordinary, superior feminine male stripper of the upper east side?"

Sam frowned. "You're such a jerk."

"And you're a little bitch."

Sam rolled his eyes and looked at Castiel. "Can you guys please get it for me? I told Anna I'd get it for something Ash wants but I don't know where it'd be. You guys moved stuff around."

Dean sighed. "Fine…we'll get it. Damn. Whiney little…" He trailed off as he entered the room labeled 'COSTUMES', Castiel right behind him. He moved toward a few of the boxes at the back and Castiel was reminded of how crammed and crowded this room was, leaving them pretty close together. "Did you say black cape, Sam?" Dean asked, turned around and then glared. "Hey!"

The door slammed shut behind Castiel and he jerked in surprise, spinning around. He twisted the knob to open the door again but found it to be jammed somehow. Could this room really lock? He frowned, feeling his heart sink. Locked in a room? He didn't like this. He hated being stuck somewhere, especially in a room so crammed as this one. What if they ran out of air or something?

_Think rationally,_ he told himself, taking in a deep breath as though to calm himself even though it didn't seem to be working.

"Damn it." Dean moved past him and pounded against the door. "Sam! This isn't funny! Open up! Hey! I'm going to kick your ass out of the house! Sam!"

Either Sam wasn't listening or he'd moved away and couldn't hear them, but they didn't seem to be getting out any time soon. The door remained locked and the room remained crammed.

Castiel swallowed thickly. Crowded places were fine, really. But being trapped in a crammed room, the door locked? With Dean, of all people? He felt himself start to hyperventilate.

Dean sighed and turned to face him, immediately frowning. "Jesus, Cas, calm down!" he said worriedly, grabbing Castiel's shoulder and shaking him slightly. "Hey? You okay, man? Cas?"

"I want to get out of here," he told Dean quietly, feeling like some kind of wuss for letting a small little room panic him this much, but he'd never liked being stuck in small, crammed places. The costumes and walls seemed to be closing in on him.

"Yeah, okay…" Dean bit down on his lower lip and hit the door again. "Sam! Cas doesn't like this! Open up! Sam!" Then he sighed. "Damn it…the door is pretty thick, Cas, I don't even know if he can hear us."

Castiel swallowed thickly, blue eyes wide.

"Take it easy, okay? It'll be okay. It's just a small room, right? Let's just talk. Take your mind off things." Dean pushed down on Castiel's shoulders. "C'mon. Sit."

Castiel nodded and sat on the ground. Dean sat next to him and for a moment, it was quiet. Castiel closed his eyes and tried to think about other things. Sure, he'd been in this room before, and had even had the door closed, but he hadn't been _locked_ in. And it hadn't been for very long.

He was usually fine with stuff like this, but…right now, it was really making him feel nauseous. And it was just his luck that Dean was there with him and had to see how pathetic he was.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, glaring at the ground.

"For what?"

"For…" He trailed off.

Dean sighed. "For not liking small rooms? Cas, that's not your fault, man. Sam's just being an ass. I don't know what he's trying to do but he won't leave us in here for too long. He knows I'd whoop his ass to next Tuesday."

Castiel nodded slowly.

"I don't think any less of you," Dean said suddenly, causing Castiel look at him, frowning slightly. "If that's what you're worried about."

Castiel swallowed. "Thanks…"

"No problem." Dean shrugged and sighed. "It's hot in here, eh?" He pulled his shirt from his chest and let it drop back, and then he did it again, as though trying to air himself out.

Castiel nodded quietly, closing his eyes.

"Just don't think about it," Dean said. "Keep your eyes closed and imagine yourself somewhere else. At least, I think it'll work…I wouldn't really know…" He shifted and sigh. "Sorry, Cas, I'm trying to help, but…"

"You're helping," Castiel assured him quietly, keeping his eyes closed. "Thank you."

"Yeah…that's what friends are for, right?"

"I suppose."

Except a part of him wanted to be more than friends…

He opened his eyes, which was really a big mistake. The room was so crammed. His eyes darted toward the door but it was still shut, still locked, and he knew they weren't getting out of here. At least not soon, maybe not ever. What if Sam forgot about them? What if no one remembered them in here and left for the day? What if they were trapped in here all night? There probably wasn't enough air in here to last that long, he realized, which really only made him panic all the more, his breaths shaky, quick, and rapid.

"Cas, calm down," Dean ordered, gripping his shoulder firmly. "Cas! Hey! Take it easy! Breathe, man, okay? Everything's fine."

"What if they forget we're here?"

"What?"

"What if-"

"That's not gonna happen," Dean said, shaking his head. "I promise. Sam wouldn't forget. Everything's fine. Calm down, okay? I don't need you passing out on me, man."

Castiel swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"I know, I get it, Cas, I do. I understand. And I don't expect you to apologize, alright? It's fine."

Castiel felt a little reassured but he still felt the urge to vomit. The air was too warm in the room, too thick and confining, just like the walls around him, the walls clad with costumes.

"I want out."

"I know," Dean murmured. "Sam won't keep us in here too long, alright? I promise."

Dean rarely made promises, and Castiel had the feeling that when he did, he intended to keep them. So he sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to stay calm.

"Thanks…" he murmured.

"No problem," Dean said casually. "We'll be out of here soon."

Castiel, in hopes of focusing his gaze on something other than the walls around him which were making him feel sick to his stomach and dizzy, looked at Dean. Dean was looking around the room as though searching for something, perhaps another key somewhere hidden, stashed away, but Castiel wasn't sure. All he knew was that the heat of the room had left a small flush to Dean's face, his freckles standing out slightly, his eyes bright. He kept looking at him, watching him, until Dean faced him again and frowned.

"Um…Cas?"

"Yes?"

"…What are you doing?" Dean asked, leaning back a little. It was then that Castiel realized he had steadily been moving closer to Dean, no doubt interrupting his 'bubble', which was something Dean had ranted about at lunch one day, his personal space bubble, which Hunter had metaphorically stabbed with a fork.

"Oh, um, I…" Castiel stammered, flushing as he quickly started to pull back. "I'm sorry, I…" But he trailed off, not knowing what to say. He just wound up staring at his friend again.

And the weird thing? Dean stared right back. For a moment, they just looked at each other, green attached to blue, and Castiel felt himself moving forward again. Dean didn't bother to move back, didn't flinch or react in the slightest, just kept watching him, staring at him in that intense way that left Castiel somewhat breathless as he stared back.

Closer and closer the two of them got. Castiel was practically leaning over him now, and Dean was beginning to smirk, leaning forward slightly as well, still watching him. Green still sought out blue and blue was forever locked on green. Castiel reached out and grabbed Dean's shoulder while Dean gripped the front of Castiel's shirt tightly, as though dragging him in a little closer, which Castiel didn't mind at all.

Leaning in a little more, Castiel felt his heart start to race. This was it…a little further and they would be kissing. He didn't even stop to think about it as he continued moving forward, so slowly that he was sure it was going to take an eternity, but he was getting there, and so was Dean.

And then Sam finally opened the door and the two jumped apart from each other.

Sam grinned. "Am I interrupting something?"

* * *

Teehee, oh, Sammy...lol...Anyway! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Hopefully motivation will kick my ass and make me write, haha, so hopefully the next chapter will be up soon ;) Next up? Well...there's going to be-

Nah, not tellin'. Anyway, thanks so much for reading! Please continue to review! You guys rock and keep the story going! Thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you so much for the reviews! I got up this morning and saw that I had fourteen new reviews! Thank you all so much! You have inspired to me to quickly write this chapter ;) And here it is! Things are picking up and soon all questions will be answered ;) Again, thank you all so much! I really appreciate it! You make me keep writing, lol. I don't know when the next chapter will be 'cause I have been trying to start Holy Hell (one of the story ideas on my profile). I never seem to get it right, though. Sigh. Anyway, thanks so much for reading and please continue to review!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Castiel covered his face with his pillow in hopes of suffocating. It wasn't working and hadn't been for the past two days but he continued trying. His parents were concerned, he knew, and he wished he could tell them what was wrong, but how could he? What would they say? What would they think? He'd almost kissed Dean! He felt his heart race just thinking about. They had really been about to _kiss_, there in that small, crammed room. If Sam hadn't interrupted…A part of Castiel was happy Sam had, because he was afraid of actually kissing Dean, of what would possibly happen after. Another part of him was angry that Sam had interrupted because he'd _wanted_ to kiss Dean. He was the one who had started leaning in first, after all.

Thinking about it was making his head spin. He had to stop that for the moment. Sighing, he pulled the pillow away from his face and stared up at his ceiling. It was still early in the morning, only around eight or so, but he was staying home from school again. Not because he was sick - though that was what his parents believed due to his flushed face whenever he thought about that almost-kiss with Dean in that crammed room - but because he was actually afraid to face Dean. What would Dean say? He had been about ready to kiss Castiel, hadn't he? He had been leaning in too, and that was probably the scariest part of it.

Did Dean…Could he…? Could he possibly feel something for Castiel like he did for Dean? Was it even possible? It frightened him a little. Before, it had seemed like just a crush or something…nothing too serious even though the green-eyed Winchester always seemed to be in his thoughts. Now, though…it seemed even more real, more concrete, and he just didn't know what to do.

Sam knew. He must have seen them jump apart as they had, shocked that the door was opening so suddenly after being so firmly locked, keeping them there together. Was that Sam's plan all along? That grin he'd been wearing…

Castiel shook the thoughts from his head and got out of bed, scrubbing a hand over his face. He knew Jimmy knew something was wrong. His brother would soon ask about it, probably today when he got home from school. Castiel needed to think of something to say, because he certainly couldn't tell Jimmy he and Dean had almost kissed. That wasn't likely to go over well, right? Sure, his brother had kissed a few guys, but that was mainly during truth or dare, which his brother loved to play - well, the 'dare' part, anyway.

Sighing, he was just moving out of his room and into the hallway beyond when the phone in his room started to ring. It was the same as the regular house number but it was nice to have a phone in his room. Frowning to himself, he went back into his room and looked at the phone momentarily. Who could be calling? It was still early, and his friends - it was nice to think he had friends - were in school, right? Sighing, he picked up the cordless phone and pressed the green 'Talk' button.

"Hello?" he asked politely yet gruffly, a little wary.

"Cas?" came Sam's quick, rushed voice.

"Sam? What…? Aren't you supposed to be at school?" he asked worriedly, frowning to himself.

"I…yeah, but…I stayed at Josh's again last night and…Cas, where's Dean?"

Something cold rushed into Castiel's veins. "What do you mean?" he asked softly, sitting down on his bed heavily. A million thoughts raced through his mind. "He's at school, right?" A knot formed, hard and cold, full of dread.

"Um…no…he was supposed to come pick me up and take me to school. He, um…never came, and he's not answering his cell or the home phone, so…" There was a nervous pause. "Please tell me you've talked to him."

"No, I…I haven't," Castiel murmured, running a hand across his face, pushing back his black bangs. This wasn't like Dean - he would have at least called Sam if he wasn't going to be there. He loved his little brother, that much was completely obvious. He wouldn't just not show up and then not answer his phone. Something was wrong. Castiel could feel it deep in his gut, twisting and writhing like the ridges of dread itself. "I don't…you're sure you can't get a hold of him?"

"Yes!" Sam squeaked, voice high and fearful. "I have no idea where he is!"

"Neither do I," Castiel said softly.

"I just…I thought he'd tell _you_, of all people, where he was going…"

"Why me?" Castiel was confused.

"I…I just…" Sam trailed off quietly. "I don't know where he is…"

"Um, okay, uh…" This wasn't right. Where was Dean? Castiel didn't like this at all. "Let me make a few calls, okay, Sam? I'll get back with you, I promise."

"Okay," Sam said slowly. "Thank you." Then he hung up.

Castiel took in a deep, heavy breath that was meant to calm him but actually did anything but. Where was Dean? What was going on? Something was wrong…so very, very wrong. He knew it deep in his gut. Swallowing thickly, he dialed a number and brought the phone back to his ear. _Please pick up,_ he silently pleaded through his mind as the phone started to ring.

Then it went to voicemail.

"_Hey, how's it going? Just kidding, I can't come to the phone right now, so leave a message and I might get back to you. See ya!"_ Dean's voice told him cheerfully, which made him sigh. Thought it was cheerful, it was nothing like the real thing and the worry within him grew. Why wasn't Dean answering? What was going on? Where was he?

"Damn it…" he quietly cursed to himself, dialing in Dean's home number. It rang several times before Dean's voice filtered through on the answering machine. He didn't bother to leave a message, knowing that Sam probably already had. "Where are you?" he muttered into the overwhelming silence of his room.

_Where is he? Is he okay? What's going on?_

He swallowed and scrubbed a hand across his face, trying to think of what to do. He couldn't call his other friends - they were in school and wouldn't answer anyway, not until they were at lunch or something, and that was still a ways off. Who could he call? His parents were at work so he couldn't call them. They'd get in trouble, and besides, it wasn't like they'd know where Dean was anyway.

He combed his fingers through his hair, struggling to think of what to do to find his friend.

His thoughts were interrupted when there was a loud yet hesitant knock on the front door. Castiel frowned, wondering if he was imagining it, because who would have been coming to the house this early in the morning, and on a school day, when usually no one was home? Sighing, he got to his feet and hurried downstairs to answer the door. He grabbed the knob and threw the door open, expecting to see some salesperson or something, but instead his eyes went wide, his heart racing.

"Dean," he hissed, grabbing his friend by the arm and hauling him inside, looking fearfully at the blood running down Dean's face from a cut on his forehead, dark bags encasing his dull green eyes. Dean winced and pulled his arm free, following Castiel inside quietly, not saying a word, which definitely wasn't like him. "Shit, what happened?" Castiel asked worriedly, sitting on the couch. Dean hesitated and kept standing. "Sit."

"I, um…" Dean cleared his throat and shook his head. "I need to, uh…wash up first…don't want to get blood on the furniture, Cas."

Castiel swallowed. "How much are you bleeding?"

"Uh…Just tell me where the bathroom is, okay?"

"Dean…" Castiel shook his head and stood, leading his friend toward the downstairs bathroom. Dean entered quietly and began pulling off his jacket. One of his arms had a deep gash on the shoulder and it was bleeding rather profusely, coating his arm, though some of it was dry already. "Dean!" Castiel hissed in concern, moving to stand next to his friend, staring at the red blood.

"I'm fine," Dean said in a monotone voice, which left Castiel to believe that, no, he _wasn't_ fine. He was lying. "Can I have a rag or something? Please?" Dean's voice was soft and unsure, which certainly wasn't like him.

Castiel quickly retrieved a wash cloth and handed it to him, frowning. "Dean…"

"Not now, Cas…don't." Dean shook his head and wet the rag before he pressed it against his blood arm, along the gash. Wincing, he quietly washed the blood away and Castiel could see that it wasn't as bad as it looked. It was just the weight of gravity that was making it look like it had bled a lot, when really, the gash wasn't too deep. But still, it really shouldn't have been there in the first place.

"Let me help, at least," Castiel murmured, grabbing the cloth from Dean.

Dean clenched his jaw. "I got it, Cas…I'm good."

"No. You're not." And wasn't that the problem? Castiel shook his head and took to washing Dean's arm for him, even though he was pretty certain that Dean was capable of doing it on his own. He shouldn't have to, though. He shouldn't have even been bleeding like this. It was all so very wrong.

"You don't have to do this," Dean murmured quietly, looking at the ground as though ashamed. Why that was, Castiel didn't know. Dean had nothing to be ashamed of.

"It's fine. I want to," Castiel told him quietly. He finished cleaning the wound and then looked around for something to bandage it with. He knew there still should have been some bandage wrapping around here somewhere - his father liked to keep his family prepared, after all. He found what he was looking for in the cabinet under the sink as Dean sat heavily on the side of the bathtub, glaring pitifully at the ground, looking somewhat defeated, his shoulders slumped. Castiel didn't like him looking like that. He moved toward Dean with the bandaging. "Here, hold out your arm."

Dean did so quietly. Castiel started wrapping it with the bandaging.

"You don't have to-" Dean started again.

"But I am," Castiel cut him off. He finished wrapping the gash and sighed as he stepped back, looking at his handiwork. "That should do. Are you, um…hurt anywhere else?" He didn't like Dean being hurt. It wasn't right. At all.

"No, I…I'm fine, Cas. Um…thanks."

"You're welcome. That's what…friends are for, right?" Castiel asked, quoting Dean's words from that crammed room two days ago.

Dean smiled faintly but the smirk disappeared as soon as it had come. Castiel didn't like Dean being this quiet, this seemingly closed off. It wasn't right. He was supposed to be happy and smiling, cheerful and exuberant, not solemn and silent.

"What about that cut on your forehead?"

"It's fine." Dean's reply was rather curt.

"If you…um…say so."

Dean got to his feet with a heavy sigh. "Can I use your phone? I really need to call Sam."

"Oh! Yeah! Sam," Castiel said, unable to believe he could have forgotten. "He called here, looking for you."

"Yeah…"

"We couldn't get a hold of you on your cell."

"Yeah I forgot to charge it last night…."

"You weren't home."

"No."

Castiel frowned and got the downstairs phone for his friend while Dean sat on the couch. Then he sat next to him as Dean dialed slowly.

"Hey, Sammy," Dean said quietly. Castiel heard Sam shouting at him through the phone and winced. Sam had quite the lung capacity. "I'm sorry…yeah, he just…no, I'm fine." A faint smirk crossed his face. "Whatever, Samantha, that's your department…huh? I'm at Cas's…yeah, I'm fine, sheesh, you're annoying…yeah, whatever, bitch. Talk to you later." He hung up and handed the phone back to Castiel.

"Everything okay?" Castiel asked.

"Yeah…"

"…Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Everything's fine." He got to his feet. "I, uh…should be going…"

"I don't think so," Castiel said, jumping up and grabbing Dean's good arm, tugging him back a step. "I want to know what's going on with you. I know it has something to do with your home…and anyway, I'm not letting you leave like this."

"Like what?"

"Like…this! You're not yourself."

Dean chuckled faintly. "And how would you know?" His voice was hollow.

"I know you."

"Do you?"

Castiel paused. "Yes."

"Cas…" Dean didn't look convinced.

"I know you like to have a careless, somewhat rough exterior, but you're really caring around your brother, even when you try to act like you're not. I think, inside, you're actually kind of…well…insecure, even though you act confident and…and enthusiastic and…" Castiel trailed off, wondering why he was saying this. He wasn't even really sure if it was all true, it was just what he was thinking. It was wrong for Dean to be quiet and insecure, but he did think that maybe that was what Dean really felt inside, even if it wasn't right for him to be feeling as such. "I know most people don't listen to what you have to say. They shrug you off. That's why you talk a lot…I know that even though you complain a lot, you actually like Drama Club, and even Anna and Ash. They're your friends. It seems like you're cautious of people, at first, but then you let them in and you're very loyal." He was thinking about when he, Dean, and Jimmy had gone to the movies and Dean had chosen to be with him instead of Jimmy, even though he was hiding out in the bathroom.

Dean glared at the ground, not saying a word, not denying anything or confirming it. His face was expressionless and that worried Castiel more than he cared to admit.

He took in a deep breath and continued. "I know you have an obsession for your car, which, by the way, is actually a nice car. I know you like rock music, practically any type of it. You hum under your breath when you're relaxed or comfortable." He hoped none of this made him come off stalker-ish or anything, because, really, he wasn't. He just noticed things over time. "It's usually AC/DC or Metallica, what you hum. You'd do anything for Sam, I know you would." He took in another deep breath and looked away. "And I know you're the best friend I've ever had," he said quietly, his voice just barely audible as he finally released Dean's arm. "So…yeah, I know you, Dean."

A thick silence wrapped around them, neither of them looking at each other, only staring at the ground, stiff and quiet. Minutes ticked by, Castiel wasn't sure how many. Then, finally, Dean started to laugh, loud and sincere. It was real.

Castiel looked at him and frowned as Dean quieted a little, smiling at him, a fond expression on his face. "You're such a girl, Cassandra."

Castiel smirked. "Whatever, Deana."

Dean shook his head slowly, smiling softly.

"…Will you tell me what happened?" Castiel asked quietly.

Dean's expression blanked. Castiel nearly flinched at the abruptness of it. "Not now, Cas…maybe sometime later, okay?" His voice was quiet but sincere.

Castiel sighed. "Okay, just…" He shook his head. "Be careful?"

"Aren't I always?"

"No."

Dean rolled his eyes and sat back down on the couch. "Well…I guess I don't have to go _right now_. Sammy can wait an hour or so."

Castiel smiled and sat next to him. "TV?"

"Of course. It's like you read my mind."

Castiel turned the TV on and the two sat and watched it for a moment. Then Dean frowned.

"What are you even doing home? You don't look sick."

Castiel shifted uncomfortably. "I feel better now."

Dean frowned at him but nodded slowly. "Right…okay."

"How did you know I'd be home?"

Dean shrugged. "I guessed. You weren't at school yesterday so I just thought you might not be there today, either." There was a small pause and it looked like Dean was going to say something, but then he snapped his mouth shut and shook his head, not saying anything.

"What?" Castiel asked, wanting to know.

"Nothing." Dean looked at the ground almost thoughtfully, before he looked up at the TV. "What's on?"

"Nothing much."

"Figures. Wednesdays suck."

"I thought it was supposed to be Monday's that sucked?"

"All days that end with a 'y' suck," Dean told him.

Castiel smiled and shook his head. "Whatever." He paused. "Are you, uh…sure you're okay?"

He didn't like the cut on Dean's head.

"I'm fine, Cas, honest."

Castiel still wasn't completely convinced but he let it go for now, happy that Dean had wound up coming to him when he was hurt…_him_, of all people. He'd come to Castiel. Not Sam, not Anna, not anyone else…just him.

And that thought made him smile.

"Yes," Dean told him suddenly.

Castiel frowned heavily. "What? Yes what?"

Dean shrugged. "Yes. I'll come to dinner."

Castiel smiled. "Yeah? How about tomorrow night?"

"That's not gonna work..." Dean bit down on his lower lip. "I have to be home. Uh...how about Friday night?"

"Sounds great," Castiel told him.

Dean would be coming to dinner and...meeting his parents.

Crap. It had sounded like a good idea a minute ago...but now? Now he wasn't so sure. How would Dean react to meeting his parents and everything? How would Jimmy behave at dinner? He hoped everything went okay.

He hoped everything was fine with Dean.

* * *

Yeah, so...a little angst and...well, not much else, but whatever! lol You're gonna like the next chapter, trust me ;) Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I know they didn't really talk about the kiss but of course Dean's not gonna bring it up, lol. Anyway, thanks again! Hopefully my motivation sticks and the next chapter comes as quickly as this one!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	12. Chapter 12

Some of you are gonna hate the cliffhanger ;) Some of you might not. lol anyway! Part of the next chapter is finished (mostly because this chapter was originally longer but I decided to cut it off there instead of later 'cause it sounded better that way)...so yeah...anyway! Again, thank you all so much for the reviews! I really do appreciate it! And as soon as messaging system decides to start working again, I will reply to your reviews ;) Anyway, for now, thank you so much!

Also, sorry if this chapter's not that great...my medicine makes me really sleepy, so...yeah...haha. Hopefully I get over this cold quickly, though!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twelve

The near-kiss was never mentioned, for which Castiel was grateful. School was normal, for the most part, and the cut on Dean's forehead healed rather quickly, which was good. Castiel didn't like seeing that cut on his friend's head. It wasn't right. Dean still wasn't talking about it and would go quiet whenever Castiel brought it up, so he'd stopped doing so. Dean would talk to him in his own time, right? He just needed to be patient.

Today was Friday. Dean would be coming over tonight for dinner, and Castiel had mixed feelings about it. He'd told his family that Dean would be coming tonight, and Jimmy had brightened. He wasn't sure what his brother was thinking but it made him a little wary. Would Jimmy somehow steal the conversation at dinner and somehow become Dean's best friend instead? He quickly shoved those thoughts away, trying to tell himself that wouldn't happen, that Dean wasn't like that…but still, the worry was there.

So all that day in his classes, he kept shifting uncomfortably. Finally, at lunch, Dean gave him a look and flicked him in the ear, causing him to wince and frown at his friend. "What's got you so shifty, huh?" Dean asked, quirking a delicate brow.

"Nothing," he said quickly. Dean just rolled his eyes, obviously not believing him, but he didn't press the matter either, for which Castiel was grateful. "So what time will you be coming tonight?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

Dean paused. "Uh…what time are you guys eating?"

"Probably around six or so."

"Okay, I'll be over around then, maybe sometime before. Okay?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

Dean arrived a half hour before six. Castiel heard his car pull up and was moving toward the door when Jimmy rushed past him, saying, "I'll get it!" His brother pried the door open just as Dean was raising his hand to knock. Dean blinked at him momentarily and then smiled. "Hey, Dean!"

"Hey, Jimmy," Dean said in return.

"Come in," Jimmy said, ushering him inside. Dean did so and then smiled at Castiel.

"Hey, Cas."

"Hey," Castiel murmured, sighing as he watched his brother begin talking to Dean. The subject was cars again, and he still knew nothing about them. Maybe he would have to learn about them if he wanted to be a part of the conversation, but the thought didn't really interest him. He just wasn't that interested in cars. A car was a car, right? What did it matter? But apparently, to Dean and Jimmy, the subject was very important as they talked enthusiastically about it, sitting on the couch.

Castiel sighed heavily and entered the kitchen, leaving the two of them to talk. This was what he'd been afraid of. Dean would see that Jimmy was much more interesting than Castiel. Castiel liked books while Jimmy liked cars. Castiel was used to the background while Jimmy got all the attention. He sighed again and found his mother working on starting dinner.

"Hey," she said to him with a smile, her blue eyes vibrant and warm, like always. Her voice was also warm and for some reason made him think of cookies. "Where's your brother?"

"Living room."

"Oh. Is your friend here?"

"Yeah…he and Jimmy are talking." He sat heavily in one of the kitchen chairs and scrubbed a hand over his face.

"I see," she said before turning back to her cooking. She was an excellent cook, really. She'd won a few contests in the last town they'd lived in. Jimmy's friends had loved her. "Well, why don't you go talk with them? Show Dean your room?"

Castiel shrugged. "They're talking."

"What about?"

"Cars."

"Ah, I see." She chuckled. "That sounds like your father and his friends. Always talking about cars." She shook her head. "Personally, I never did understand the appeal."

He nodded. He guessed he was like his mom there. Too bad Jimmy was like Dean.

"There's some pie in the refrigerator," she said. "You can heat it up and take it out to your friend if you want."

Castiel sighed and got up before he entered the living room. Dean and Jimmy were still talking but Dean looked at him as he entered the room. "Mom wants to know if you want some pie?"

Dean's expression brightened. "Pie? I love pie! I'll even cut it for you," he said as he jumped to his feet, throwing an arm around Castiel's shoulders as though to tell him a very important secret about pie that no one else knew. "I can't let you handle that knife all by yourself, can I? No! Of course not!"

They entered the kitchen and Castiel felt Dean's arm leave his shoulders. He tried to get rid of the blush he knew was reddening his cheeks so he stuck his head in the refrigerator as thought searching for the pie even though it was right in front of him. After a moment, he grabbed the pie and put it on the table, frowning at Dean. "Do you want it heated up?"

"I'm sure your mother's pie tastes excellent either way," Dean said with a smile, causing Castiel's mom to turn around and looked at him, chuckling warmly.

"Well aren't you just a charmer?" she asked with a smirk.

"So some have said," Dean replied, grabbing the fork Castiel handed him. There was only a little of the pie left and the two could share, Castiel figured. Why bother with plates? There was barely even enough to cut.

His mother held out her hand. "I'm Bethany, Castiel's mother, if you haven't noticed." She grinned.

Dean smiled. "Nice to meet you," he said. "I'm Dean." He stuck his fork in the pie and ate a bite.

"I know," she said with a chuckle. "Castiel talks about you all the time."

"Mom!" Castiel hissed, glaring at her as Dean nearly choked on his pie.

"What?" she asked with a frown.

Dean swallowed down his bite and took in a gulp of air. "You talk about me, huh?" He grinned, amused. "Good things, I hope?"

"Of course," Bethany said.

Dean chuckled. "Well, then I guess that's fine." There was a particular sparkle in his eyes that left Castiel smiling too.

Jimmy entered the kitchen and smiled. "Pie! Any left for me?"

"No," Dean said instantly, grinning as he ate another bite. "Get your own, you pie stealer."

Jimmy rolled his eyes and snatched Dean's fork, eating some for himself. Dean frowned and then looked at Castiel. "Fork?" Castiel frowned and in that moment, Dean snatched Castiel's fork with a grin, eating the pie. Castiel sighed and stepped back to let them eat, even though he could have grabbed another fork. It didn't matter - there wasn't much pie left anyway. He watched the two of them eat it as he sat at the table, slumping in his seat.

They finished it rather quickly. There was one bite left. Dean looked up at Castiel and batted Jimmy's fork away from the last bite, stabbing it with his own fork. "Here," he said, handing the fork to Castiel, who frowned at him deeply.

"…Huh?" Castiel asked, confused even as he reached out for the fork.

"You get the last bite," Dean said with a shrug.

"Um…thanks," Castiel murmured, eating the last bite. It was nice of Dean to do that. Jimmy chuckled and shook his head as he sat on Dean's other side. Bethany grinned at them and left the room, leaving supper to cook for a moment.

* * *

Dinner was ready. Dean sat between Castiel and Jimmy, and Bethany and Castiel's dad, Mark, sat at the opposite end of the table. Bethany and Mark kept talking to Dean, asking him questions, and he looked more than a little uncomfortable, which made Castiel frown. Jimmy kept trying to talk to Dean but his friend would only smile and shake his head, answering simply and quickly and not saying much. He actually looked confused and anxious all in one, which was definitely a strange combination, especially when it was plastered on Dean's face.

"We just wanted to say thank you for accepting Castiel into your group so easily," Bethany was saying with a warm smile while Dean shifted nervously in his seat.

"Uh…no problem," Dean said slowly. "He's a good friend."

Castiel smiled while his mother grinned happily and everyone continued eating. Jimmy struck up a few conversations with Dean but Dean pretty much answered with only a few words, not talking much as he focused mainly on eating. Castiel frowned at him, wondering what was wrong, but he didn't want to question it in front of everyone because it was obvious Dean was trying to hide it, whatever it was.

Once they were finished with dinner, Castiel led Dean up to his room, where it was quieter. Dean seemed to relax a little as he sat heavily on Castiel's bed, running a hand across his face. Castiel frowned at him as he sat next to him. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Dean shrugged. "They, uh…"

"What?"

"Like to talk…?"

"Huh?"

Dean shrugged again. "It's nothing, just…they're nice."

"Well, yeah," Castiel said, not understanding.

"I just…wasn't expecting them to be so warm."

"Why not?"

Yet another shrug. "I don't know. I just wasn't expecting them to, uh…talk to me so much."

Castiel frowned. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Dunno, I just…never mind," Dean sighed, shaking his head. He smiled at Castiel. "Your family is great."

"Thanks," Castiel said, smiling back. "So…"

Suddenly he had no idea what to do or say. What were they supposed to talk about?

"So…" Dean echoed, sighing again. "Your room is…plain. You need some posters or something." He looked around. "At least you have a computer though. Sammy's been bugging me for one."

"You don't have one?"

"Nah. Too expensive. Never really cared for them anyway, at least not like Sammy. I think he's in love with them, personally." He shook his head with a faint, fond chuckle. "I'm gonna try and get him one for Christmas, though. Been saving my money."

"You have a job?" Castiel asked with a frown, because Dean had never mentioned one before now.

Dean froze and went rigid. After a pause, he shrugged. "Kinda, I guess you could say. But whatever works, right?"

"I guess," Castiel said, still confused. Then he sighed and looked at the ground, still unsure of what to say or talk about. Dean's body was warm next to him on the bed and he was suddenly aware of how close they were sitting. Dean was looking at Castiel's bookshelf, his eyes roaming over the names of the books. Castiel sighed and followed his gaze.

"So I take it you're a bookworm, eh?"

"I guess," Castiel said.

"Sammy is too." Dean shook his head with a snort. "Never really could understand the appeal. But then you and Sammy are smart, so maybe that's why."

"You're smart too," Castiel said with a frown.

"Whatever."

"You could get straight 'A's if you wanted to."

"I know."

Castiel frowned deeply at his friend, not understanding. "What do you mean? If you know, then why don't you?"

"Cas…it's complicated."

"Then un-complicate it."

"It's not that simple."

"So why do you act like you're not smart? I know you are."

Dean shrugged heavily, glaring at the ground. "Cas…I can't, okay? Please drop it."

Castiel sighed. "You're going to have to talk about things one of these days, Dean," he said quietly, looking away and toward the ground. They were wrapped in a thick silence for a moment, and then they both turned each other at the same time, as though wanting to say something. Castiel paused as though to let Dean speak first and Dean did the same for him. Another silence wrapped around them but instead of it being uncomfortable and thick, it was warm and light, like a tether drawing them closer together.

Once again, Castiel found his gaze locked on his friends as he leaned forward slowly, his heart picking up speed. _What the hell are you doing?_ his mind screamed at him and a part of him shouted at him to stop, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. Because a much larger part of him screamed for him to keep going, and so he did. And Dean didn't seem to be going anywhere, his gaze searching Castiel's, blue attached to green as they both leaned forward. It was like the crammed room all over again and Castiel's breath started to cut short as the two of them got closer.

_Stop!_ his mind snapped again. But a much larger part of his mind growled, _Keep going!_ And so he did. He obeyed.

And then, like an unstoppable force, their lips met in a light touch, not much force behind it, just the light feel of two mouths searching each other, trying to figure the other out.

* * *

So...good, bad? It's the first time I've actually done that much yaoi with fanfiction characters...lol so please let me know what you think! More in the next chapter ;) Thank you so much and please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry if this chapter sucks...I'm so very tired at the moment...ugh...my medicine makes me sleepy and then I took sleeping pills after the medicine wore off...so yeah...lol I'm ready for bed. But I wanted to go ahead and finish this chapter before I did anything ;) lol so you're lucky. Quick updates, eh? Hopefully they'll stay that way and I didn't just jinx myself. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews! You keep me going! Thank you!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Castiel's heart was racing in his chest and he was sure Dean could feel the _thud-thud_ of the pulsing organ through the link of their lips as the pressure increased, growing more personal and heated instead of just light and barely there, both of them seemingly growing a little more confident. Castiel hadn't kissed anyone before - had never had the chance seeing as how no one had ever been that interested in him, preferring Jimmy instead - and so he didn't exactly know what he was doing, but he knew that this felt nice.

Better than nice…it was _great_. Excellent. Amazing.

Because this was Dean and his lips were warm and inviting as they pressed against Castiel's. Castiel reached out to grab Dean's arm and pull him in closer, wanting more pressure, his body seemingly taking over even as his mind battled with conflicting emotions and thoughts.

Dean reached a hand up and slid his fingers through Castiel's hair, grasping what black strands he could as he brought Castiel's head closer to him, their mouths seemingly working as one.

And then there was a knock on the bedroom door and Jimmy's voice filtered into the room, "Dean! It's eight o'clock! Didn't you say you had to pick Sam up?"

Dean and Castiel jumped apart as though released from a physical force, both gasping for breath and staring at each other with wide eyes. Dean swallowed thickly a few times, mouthed something that sounded like 'Shit' and then jumped to his feet, pacing the room for a moment. Castiel sat on the bed, trying to wrap his mind around what had happened.

"Dean-" he started quietly, desperately needing to talk to his friend because he could see the wild look in Dean's eyes, knew that he was probably about to run, and if he did…

Well. Castiel wasn't sure what would fix things. If Dean panicked and ran, what would happen? What would that mean for them?

"I gotta go," Dean said, cutting him off as he lunged for the door and threw it open, darting out of the room before Castiel even had the chance to get to his feet and try and stop him.

A second later, the Impala revved to life outside and quickly pulled away.

And Castiel was left alone in the room with the memory of Dean's lips against his.

* * *

Dean was avoiding him. It was as simple as that, really. He arrived in class late so the two of them couldn't talk before school started, and he left class quickly, in a hurry, and didn't walk with Castiel in the hallways. Castiel didn't know what to think or do. He'd personally liked the kiss but what if Dean hadn't? If he was embarrassed or something, he shouldn't have been. Castiel had wanted it…hadn't Dean? What if he hadn't…what if he regretted it or something?

The thought kept making Castiel shift uneasily.

Dean wasn't at lunch. No one knew where he was, but he was still at school - Castiel had seen him in the hallway. He was just avoiding him. They had Drama Club after school, so weren't they going to have to see each other anyway? Why was he acting like this? Castiel didn't like it. What if Dean didn't want to be friends anymore or something? The thought made something twist painfully in Castiel's gut.

He didn't want to lose Dean's friendship. He wasn't sure what he would do if he did. Dean was unlike anyone he had ever met before. He'd helped Castiel be accepted into the Drama Club, into that kind of family, had helped him open up and talk to others instead of being part of the background like always. Dean seemed to understand him like no one else…and he'd even resisted Jimmy, had picked Castiel over him…and no one had really ever done that before.

Fear settled within him, he worried about what today's Drama Club would bring. All weekend, he'd tried calling Dean but had only gotten his voicemail. Not as worried as he had been when Sam had called when he couldn't get a hold of Dean, he'd left it be and had left a simple message on Dean's cell asking him to call him when he could. Dean never had and now it was Monday. He'd ignored him all day.

Castiel was more than a little nervous as he waited for Drama Club. Would Dean even show up?

* * *

Dean was at Drama Club, but he arrived late and with Sam in tow, a scowl plastered on his face like his little brother had forced him to bring him. Sam bounded toward Castiel while Dean talked to Anna about a few skit's the red-haired girl had in mind. Sam plopped down next to Castiel at one of the long tables. "Hey!" he said enthusiastically.

All Castiel could manage was a half-nod in greeting, his gaze shifting toward Dean, who was gracefully dodging his gaze, keeping his eyes focused on Anna even though he was facing Castiel with the way he was standing.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked with a frown before he glanced at Dean. "Did you two have a fight or something the other day?"

Castiel shook his head.

"Hmm…" Sam frowned. "He looked, um…upset when he came to get me Friday. Did something happen on Friday at your house?" Sam sounded curious but also a little worried.

Castiel kept quiet. What was he supposed to say, anyway? That he'd kissed Dean? That Dean had definitely kissed him back? That it had grown a little heated? That Dean had bolted out of there afterward? He decided to just keep his mouth shut.

"Cas?" Sam asked with a heavy frown. "Did something happen? Did you guys get into a fight?"

"No." It was all he was going to say on the matter. They definitely hadn't gotten into a fight, but…yeah…something had happened. Just not that. Definitely not that. Maybe if they'd gotten into a fight, he'd know what to do. Right now, though, he felt helpless and uncertain. Dean wouldn't even look at him.

"Then…?" Sam prompted.

Castiel sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. Dean was right - Sam could be persistent. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Uh huh…right…you guys were doing so great! What happened?"

"What do you mean?" He was confused.

"Uh…nothing!" Sam said with a grin. "But…so nothing happened?"

"…No."

"Right…and I'm the tooth fairy." Sam shook his head. "Don't worry, I've got the perfect plan."

"…Like what?" Castiel asked, raising a suspicious brow. Sam shook his head with a grin as he jumped to his feet and hurried toward Dean. Dean glared at his little brother but finally sighed as Sam talked animatedly to him, using what Dean had dubbed the 'puppy-dog eyes'. Then Dean disappeared onto stage for a moment before he returned and said something to Sam, exasperated. Sam shrugged and pointed behind Castiel, toward the 'COSTUMES' room. Dean glared and then stomped away, into the room, quickly followed by Sam. Castiel watched them go, wondering what was going on.

Anna disappeared behind stage, where most of the people were staying. The rest were one stage sitting down, talking to each other. It was a slow day, obviously, Anna and Ash trying to figure out what to do next. Castiel combed his fingers through his hair, sighing.

There was a loud clatter that came from the 'COSTUMES' room and Castiel jumped to his feet, spinning around in time to see Sam appear in the doorway, eyes wide. "Sam?" he asked worriedly, wondering what could have fallen. Weren't most of the boxes on the floor.

"I, um…something fell," Sam said quickly.

"Yeah, and? What was it?"

"Doesn't matter! You gotta help Dean! It fell on him!" Sam said urgently, ushering Castiel quickly into the room. Castiel raced inside and looked around, wondering where Dean was since the room was so small and crammed. He found his friend under a box that had bust open after, probably, having fallen from one of the shelves in the room. Clothes half covered his friend.

Dean groaned and sat up, rubbing at his head. "Damn it," he muttered and then looked around, frowning as his gaze landed on Castiel. "Cas?" he asked slowly. "What are you doing in here? I thought you hated this room."

"Sam said-" Castiel said.

"Sam's an ass." Then Dean's eyes went wide. "Damn it! Sam!" He jumped up quickly and hurried toward the door. Castiel frowned after him and noticed that the door was shut. Dean twisted the knob but it appeared to be locked again. "Damn it! Little twerp did it again…I'm gonna kill him. I am. And then I'm gonna rot in jail for doing it. In that case I need an accomplice." Dean looked at him. "We can take him."

Castiel blinked at him, confused. "…You're talking to me now?" he asked quietly.

Dean frowned. "I, uh…" He shifted nervously and absently rubbed at the back of his neck before he shook his head and sighed heavily. He pounded at the door with his fist. "Sam! Open up! C'mon, man! You dropped a box of clothes on me, dude! Open the door!"

Castiel sighed heavily, feeling himself start to feel all warm due to the lack of space in the room. He hated this room - he really did. Sure, he and Dean had nearly kissed in it that one time, but it was far too crammed and it just made him so very uneasy. Dean frowned at him suddenly.

"You feelin' okay so far?"

Castiel swallowed. "Kinda, I guess."

"He won't keep us in here long," Dean said. "Like before. He's just…I don't know…being a bitch. As always." He shook his head and sat down on the ground against the door, his back to it. Castiel frowned and sat down as well, mostly in the same place he had been sitting last time. He couldn't believe he'd allowed Sam to trick him into coming into this room again. Maybe Dean was right - Sam really was a manipulative bastard.

"…So…you've been avoiding me," Castiel said, hoping to do something to get his focus away from the fact that this room was far too crammed for his liking and that the air seemed overly thick.

Dean blinked at him. "Do we have to do this? Now?"

"Good a time as any," Castiel said with a shrug, sighing heavily as he glared at the ground. He wrapped one hand around his stomach, feeling the contents churn slightly. He was starting to feel sick. He hoped Sam let them out soon.

And then he was going to have to talk to Anna about getting a thinner door so people could hear when they were trapped inside. He would have tried kicking it in, but he'd seen that it was pretty sturdy, and he had never kicked a door in in his life. Maybe Dean had, but he wasn't trying. He probably knew just how thick this door was.

Dean sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Damn it. I don't wanna."

"Dean."

"Fine." He shifted uneasily and looked at the ground, making sure not to even glance at Castiel. "Yes…I've been avoiding you. I'm…sorry. I know I shouldn't…"

"Are you…Do you…I mean, it's about the kiss, right?" Castiel's got quiet as he mentioned the kiss, as though somehow Sam was on the other side of the door with his ear pressed against it, trying to get details of what had 'happened'. "Do you…regret it?"

Dean said nothing, his jaw clenching slightly.

"Because…if so we can just…pretend it never happened," Castiel murmured, even though he kind of didn't want that at all. "If…that's what you want."

Silence.

Castiel swallowed thickly, hoping Dean didn't want to just stop talking and hanging out completely. Castiel relied heavily on Dean's friendship, and it kind of frightened him exactly how much.

"You don't…you don't hate me…do you?" Castiel asked quietly, glaring at the ground.

But he didn't miss the way Dean's head shot up. "What? No! Cas, I don't hate you…I never could."

Castiel said nothing. If Dean didn't hate him, then why wasn't he saying anything? He obviously regretted the kiss…right?

"Okay? Cas?" Dean moved toward him slowly, lightly touching a hand to Castiel's shoulder to cause him to glance at him. "I don't hate you. Alright?"

Castiel nodded slowly. "Then…?" he asked.

Dean sighed and shook his head, leaning against the shelf behind the two of them as he sat next to Castiel. "I don't know. I guess I just…" He shrugged. "Hell, I don't even know anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, that's kinda the whole point." Dean sighed again. "That kiss…God, this is just too much of a chick-flick moment…"

Castiel almost grinned but managed to stop himself. Sweat beaded his forehead due to the warm air in this stuffy, crammed room. His stomach flopped again and he struggled to control the twisting. The last thing he needed right now was to throw up all over Dean. That would definitely make him hate him. "You regret it," he said quietly. "It's…okay. I understand…I guess." He looked away.

"I…Cas, no," Dean said, shaking his head. "I don't regret it."

"You don't?"

"No. I, uh…" Dean glared at the ground. "Damn chick-flick moment…Okay, so…I actually kind of liked it. There. I said it."

"You…did?" Castiel asked, surprised as he looked back toward his friend, his blue gaze searching Dean's even though his friend's eyes were glued to the ground.

"Yeah…"

"I did too," Castiel said quietly, causing Dean to finally look at him. Their eyes locked. Green and blue were together again.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Castiel told him. His face flushed and he forced himself to look away again. He couldn't look at Dean while he said this. "I, um…I actually, uh…I think I might, um…like you."

"…We're friends, you kinda _have_ to like me just a little," Dean pointed out.

Castiel scowled. "No, not like that…I mean…I think I _like_ you."

There was a small pause. "Oh…really?" Dean asked thoughtfully. He didn't angry, disgusted, or discouraged. Just a little curious.

"…Yeah…"

"…Well, that explains Sam."

"Huh?"

"Locking us in here. He's trying to get us together."

"Oh." Castiel's eyes went wide and he momentarily forgot about the thick, stuffy air of the room. "Really?"

"Yeah. He's manipulative and sneaky, what can I say?" Dean shook his head. "But, um…" He took in a breath. Obviously he wasn't used to having these types of conversations. Dean probably didn't have that many heartfelt conversations with people, it seemed. He seemed like the type to keep it bottled up. Castiel knew that was unhealthy, though. Dean took in a breath and finally continued. "I think I…like you too."

Castiel's heart raced, his hopes soaring. Surely Dean couldn't feel the same, though, right? But then again…what if he did? There were so many possibilities. "R-Really?" he stammered even though he tried to keep his voice steady. His vocals betrayed him, though, and his word cracked slightly.

"Yeah. Really."

The two looked at each other again. "Then why'd you…run?" Castiel asked softly. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Dean glared at the ground, averting his gaze again. "I just…I had to get out of there. I'm sorry, man. I mean, we'd just _kissed_, for crying out loud! I guess I…dealt with it in my usual way…" He shook his head.

"Usual way?"

"I went for a ride after I picked Sam up. And I'm sorry I've been avoiding you…I just thought…" He shrugged. "I don't even know what I thought. I just thought it'd be easier."

"Dean…"

"I know, I was wrong." He sighed and looked back at Castiel. "I'm sorry, Cas."

"It's okay…" Castiel sighed. He knew Dean didn't like chick-flick moments and so having just kissed each other…yeah, it made some sense that he'd fled. Besides, it was hard to deny Dean anything, even forgiveness, when he sounded so sincere. "So…you don't regret it? You're sure?"

"I'm sure," Dean said with a faint smile.

Castiel nodded slowly and then swallowed as he looked around the room. "When's Sam letting us out?"

"I don't know," Dean replied with a sigh. "Not much longer. Promise."

Castiel sighed.

"Just don't think about it," Dean told him quietly. "Think about something else but the cramped space."

Castiel nodded and tried to do just that, except any thoughts that didn't concern the room or Sam letting them out went straight to Dean, who apparently didn't regret the kiss and possibly liked him too. A bright smile started to form across his face as the thought about it.

He looked at Dean. Dean seemed to notice his gaze because he looked up as well, tearing his eyes away from the floor.

This time when they started leaning forward, it was faster. There was little hesitation, even on Castiel's part, and his lips pressed against Dean's with a gentle forcefulness that he hadn't even known he'd possessed. Dean kissed him back with the same gentleness as the two scooted a little closer together. It was already hot in the room, so when they stopped the somewhat small kiss, they sucked in air.

"I'm growing fond of this cramped room," Dean declared with a smile, reaching out slowly to grab Castiel's arm and pull him in a little closer, to which Castiel quickly obliged.

Their mouths connected again and neither of them noticed that the door was open a crack and that Sam was watching them with a wide grin plastered on his face. Out of the corner of his eyes, Castiel thought that maybe he saw something, but he was more than a little preoccupied at the moment.

So it would have to wait.

* * *

So...like or no? Huh? ...Please let me know! Thanks and please continue to review! Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon ;)

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	14. Chapter 14

Yep, another chapter...this one was hard for me to write for some reason. It took forever! All damn day! All day! For one chapter! Ugh. But today has been okay...I'm still sick and my medicine...well...I have new medicine which is non-drowsy. I took sleeping pills though so I'm very tired...which helps me write, lol. Anyway, I don't know when the next chapter will be posted, but hopefully it will be soon. I have a big weekend coming up and this week will be busy. On Tuesday, a newspaper interviewer is coming over to interview me, plus I have writing club that day. On Wednesday, I have my Psych class which is three hours long. Sigh. Then I have to get my hair done one day (sounds fun? No! It takes forever, ugh) and I have to go back to the dentist one of these days...and then this weekend, I have my first book signing. ;) Yay! I'm excited and nervous and worried all in one. Sigh.

Anyway! Sorry for boring you. So I don't know when the next chapter will come around, but I'll post it as soon as I'm able to write it, haha. Serious things are about to happen...if I keep the plan, lol, I just got a new one so I might go with that one instead. Anyway, thanks so much for all of your reviews! They really keep me going. Please continue to do so!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Castiel was happy. Well, more than happy, really. He and Dean had kissed - a few times, even, not just once. That had to mean something, right? And Dean wasn't avoiding him anymore. All that week at school, Dean still sat next to him in class and at lunch and talked to him like he always did, which was great. They hadn't kissed since Monday, but that was fine. Sam, when he'd finally let them out of the 'COSTUMES' room, had been grinning from ear to ear and it had been rather creepy, at least to Castiel, and probably even to Dean, who had commented, "You know, Samantha, only girls are supposed to be able to creep people out by smiling. You tryin' to tell me something?"

Sam had only rolled his eyes.

Now it was Friday. It had been a good week, at least in Castiel's eyes. Dean had seemed happy as well, smiling as always, no longer so quiet. They hadn't told anyone they'd kissed or anything, but Castiel was pretty sure Sam knew, whether he'd figured it out by himself or Dean had told him. He contemplated telling Jimmy, at least, since the two were usually close and everything, but he wound up deciding against it.

It wasn't like they were dating or anything, right? They'd just kissed a few times, and not since Monday. Plus Dean didn't seem like the type of person to date, right? Castiel shook the thoughts from his head and collapsed on his bed with a yawn. It was getting late and he needed sleep.

He closed his eyes and tried to shut his mind off for the time being, not even bothering to crawl under the covers.

* * *

It was late, but something woke him up. Frowning, Castiel sat up in bed, rubbing at his eyes as though to clear his vision even though he was surrounded in darkness. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, and once they did, he wondered what had woken him. Intending on going back to sleep, he lay back down and then jerked back up when there was a tapping sound at his window. Faint, nearly inaudible, but definitely there. He crawled out of bed and moved toward the window slowly, not sure what he would find when he drew the curtains back. He peered through the curtains and blinds and blinked, startled when he saw a face looking back at him. A familiar one, too.

He opened the window. "Dean? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" he uttered quietly, even though he wasn't sure why he was whispering. It wasn't like Jimmy or his parents were going to hear him through the doors and whatnot.

Dean climbed through the window and sighed. "Sorry…I didn't know where else to go." His voice was low and somewhat hollow, which made Castiel frown greatly. He turned on the lamp on his bedside table and looked at his friend.

Dean had a bruise on his cheek that looked like it might have come from a fist, and there was blood on his hairline, caking the dark blond bangs. He looked a little paler than normal, deep, dark bags under his eyes suggesting he was exhausted and really needed to sleep. A growl caught in Castiel's throat. "What happened?"

Dean shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have come-" he started, moving back toward the window as thought to leave, a strange expression on his face. Castiel quickly caught his shoulder and spun him back toward him, cornering his body against the wall, his hands pressing against his shoulders. Normally he wouldn't have done this, but there was just something in Dean's voice…plus he was hurt again, and that simply was _not_ okay.

"Why can't you just talk to me?" he asked, exasperated as he looked into Dean's guarded green eyes, searching his gaze. Dean looked at the ground, avoiding him, and Castiel gave him a small shake, loosening his grip a little. "Obviously something's wrong. What happened?"

Dean shook his head. "It's nothing."

"It's obviously _something_," Castiel told him with narrowed eyes. "Why can't you just tell me? This has gone on long enough, Dean. Have you seen your face?"

"I know."

"So talk to me," Castiel murmured, finally releasing him. He didn't bother moving back, though, just kept his gaze locked on Dean as though it alone could keep him in place and keep him from bolting out the still-open window, even though it was chilly outside, Christmas not that far away, only about three weeks.

"Cas…"

"Dean. Please."

Dean frowned at him and sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair as he averted his gaze elsewhere, toward one of Castiel's blank gray walls. Castiel sighed and grabbed Dean's arm, pulling him toward the bed, where he forced him to sit.

"I'll go get some ice for your face," he murmured softly. "Don't even think about taking off." He gave his friend a look until Dean finally nodded, agreeing to stay put until Castiel returned. Castiel nodded to himself and swiftly left the room and went downstairs and into the kitchen, where he grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. His father loved to be prepared, after all, and he and Jimmy had gotten enough bruises and everything when they'd been younger that his dad had decided to just keep a few ice packs in the freezer just in case. Better safe than sorry, he always said, and Castiel had to agree.

He returned to his room a moment later, relieved to see Dean still sitting silently on his bed, alone in the darkness of the shadows around the lamp. He flipped on his main light and shut the door, moving toward his friend. Dean looked even worse in the brighter light. The bruise stood out in contrast with his pale face, each freckle seemingly overly prominent as they seemed to leap off his face with vigor.

Sighing, he handed the cold package to Dean, who held it to his face, not saying a word, just grunting his thanks as Castiel sat down next to him. There was a long silence that stretched between them, thick and rough like a scratchy wool blanket in the winter.

"So…will you please tell me what's going on?" Castiel asked quietly, not wanting to anger Dean if he was crossing any lines, but he really had to know. Dean kept showing up hurt and that simply wasn't okay, not to him. Dean didn't deserve to be hurt, after all. He was a great guy, so who would even want to hurt him?

"Cas…it's complicated. Can't we just leave it at that?"

"No," Castiel said slowly. A part of him wanted to give in because Dean was giving him the wide-eyed look, one often seen on Sam as the 'puppy-dog look'. Dean was just as skilled at it as his little brother, if not more so, but Castiel could be pretty determined when he wanted to be, and this was certainly one of those times. "Just tell me, okay? You…don't have to do this alone."

Dean said nothing, just glared at the ground as though it were to blame for all of life's problems.

"Did someone hit you?" he asked.

Dean rolled his eyes.

"Does Sam know?"

Dean frowned at him.

"He doesn't, does he?" Castiel asked with a heavy frown.

"…Not tonight, no."

"I see…what happened?"

"Cas…"

"C'mon," Castiel said with a sigh. "I need to know, okay? It's been going on long enough. I want to know what's going on with you."

"I shouldn't have come here…" Dean muttered mostly to himself. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. Castiel just watched him, allowing him to take his time. "It's not what you're thinking," Dean finally told him, looking at the ground as he leaned forward, his elbows weighing down on his knees.

"And what am I thinking?" Castiel asked slowly.

"That my dad did it."

"Oh." Well, yeah…the thought had certainly crossed his mind, but only briefly. Dean rarely mentioned his father but when he did, he didn't necessarily do so in a bad way.

"He didn't," Dean told him.

"Okay…so what happened? What's going on, Dean?"

Dean shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Cas. It's almost over."

"What's that supposed to mean?" It made something cold form in his gut as he wondered what Dean was talking about. What was almost over? What did that mean?

Dean took in a slow breath. "Three years ago…" He bit down on his lower lip. "Three years ago, there was a fire."

"A fire?" This was the first he'd heard of a fire.

"Yeah…a fire." He swallowed. "Me and Sammy weren't home at the time, but Mom and Dad…well…they weren't so lucky." He sucked in a slow breath and released it quietly, as though stalling for time as he thought of what to say next. "Dad was badly burned…he lost his ability to see."

Castiel's eyes went wide. "That's horrible!"

Dean nodded. "Yeah…I know. And Mom…well…" He swallowed again and Castiel knew this was painful for him. He placed a tentative hand on Dean's shoulder and gave it a mild squeeze, which caused Dean to relax, if only somewhat. "She, um…She wasn't so lucky." He shrugged slowly. "She was killed."

"Dean…"

Dean shook his head, obviously not wanting to talk about it. So that was why he didn't ever mention his mom unless someone brought her up, and even then, he only spoke about her in brief, painful sentences. At least now Castiel knew why.

"Dad was…bad off for a while. So his brother came to stay with us and pay for Dad's medicine for the burns and everything, and for his eyes…and he's stayed ever since." He took in another deep breath. A moment later, he released it after a brief pause. "Let's just say he has some pretty messed up friends. And they're at the house a lot."

"What do you mean? Messed up how?"

"Like…they drink all the time. And they do drugs. And…fuck…they're just really messed up, Cas, I don't know…" Dean scrubbed a hand across his face. "Can I stop now?"

"No…c'mon, keep going. Were they the ones who gave you that bruise?"

Dean paused. "Among others? Yes."

Castiel felt rage for them boil deeply within him. "Can't you kick them out? Have them arrested?"

"No!" Dean said quickly, looking at him with wide eyes.

Castiel frowned.

"You see…" Dean swallowed and looked away, shifting uneasily as he did so. Castiel's hand was still heavy on Dean's shoulder, though. "Uncle Justin isn't so bad. He's a nice guy, and he's really helped us out. He takes care of Dad and makes it so that me and Sammy don't have to really work or…or feel any different than a normal family would. He pays for us. He makes it so that we…don't' get taken in by social services, and…" He shook his head with a heavy sigh. "I'm rambling. But do you understand?"

"Okay…so have him kick his friends out. Call the police on his friends."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Castiel frowned at him and narrowed his eyes.

Dean shifted again. "I just can't, Cas, okay?"

"Why not?"

Dean swallowed. "Uh…well…Uncle Justin's great, don't get me wrong, but…he also has the wrong friends. He does illegal…um…things….with them. So he'd be arrested too and then where would any of us be? No. I just have to wait one more year, Cas."

"Why a year?"

"Because then I'll be eighteen and I can take Sammy away and we'll be fine on our own," Dean told him softly, as though he were conveying to him the world's greatest secret, the meaning of life. "Just a year, Cas, that's all."

"Dean…you really need to call the-"

"I can't."

Castiel took in a slow breath. "Look what they're doing to you, Dean."

"I know."

"So how can you let them?"

Dean frowned at him. "It's either me or Sammy," he said, as though that were answer enough, as though it wasn't even a choice. Which, to him, maybe it wasn't.

Castiel clinched his free hand into a fist. "You have to tell someone, Dean."

"I just told you."

"Then I'll tell someone."

"No!" Dean glared at him. "You have to _promise_ you won't!"

"Dean, I can't do that." Castiel looked at him with wide eyes. How could Dean ask him not to tell anyone when someone was hurting him, was leaving bruises and gashes on him? It wasn't right! "I have to tell _someone_."

"You can't," Dean said quickly, urgently. "Please…Cas, please, you have to promise."

"Dean, I can't…"

"Please."

Castiel swallowed thickly. Dean never said please, and so the fact that he was doing so now was really cutting into Castiel's reserves. Swallowing thickly, he glared at the ground. "Don't me promise that."

"Please, Cas."

"Dean…someone has to know."

"You know."

"Someone other than me. An adult."

"They _can't_," Dean said as though Castiel wasn't listening to him. How could Dean ask him to do this? He couldn't just tell Castiel something like that, show up all bruised, and then expect him to _not_ tell anyone! That wasn't right. He had to tell someone. "_Please_."

_Stop using 'please',_ he thought to himself, feeling his reserves crack quickly and come crumbling down, no matter how much he tried to build them back up. Giving in wasn't going to be helping Dean and Sam in the long run, but damn it…Dean's eyes were so wide and pleading, and…

How could he say no?

"…Fine," he grunted finally. "But whenever those friends arrive, you come here. Okay?"

Dean nodded rapidly. "Of course," he said softly.

"I mean it."

"I know." There was a pause. "Thanks, Cas. Most people would have…I dunno…freaked out or something. Thanks for being cool about it."

But he _wasn't_ cool about it. He wanted to throttle Dean for making him agree to not tell anyone. He wanted to kill those friends who kept hurting Dean. How could Dean's uncle stand for it if Dean said that he was a good guy? It didn't make sense. Castiel didn't like it, not at all.

"Don't thank me," he murmured.

Because it could turn out to be the biggest mistake of his life.

* * *

Sooooo...hope it's not too confusing. Ugh! You have no idea how annoying it was! I had so many ideas for this part, so many different ways it could go, and that's probably what took so long, lol. I was trying to put it off a little longer and procrastinate but I sat my ass down and got it done! lol anyway...thanks so much for reading! Please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	15. Chapter 15

Yeah, so...I'm tired again, lol, but I wanted to finish this chapter before I went to bed. Got the interview tomorrow...-sighs- but yeah. Haha hope you like this chapter ;) Only like 5 chapters left! ...if I keep my idea, lol, I might change it and make it like 25 chapters or something, I don't know yet. Depends. Would you guys like just one long(ish) story or would you like it to have a sequel? Up to you, I guess. I don't really care. But anyway...thanks so much for the awesome reviews! I hope you are enjoying the story. I'm still not that great at writing fanfiction but I hope I'm getting better, haha.

Anywho, I don't know when the next chapter will be posted...it depends on exactly what I'm having happen next, because I have like...three different ways I could do the next chapter that would have different story plans for the rest of this, so...haha yeah. Anyway...you're probably tired of me talking, so I'll shut up...for now ;)

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Castiel sat down on his bed and made his nightly phone call. It was now a regular call he made every evening after dinner and after his homework was done, ever since Dean had told him the truth five days ago. The phone rang several times before his friend finally answered with a muffled, "Yeah?"

"Hey," he said in greeting.

"Hey, Cas," Dean said cheerfully. "You caught me during my nightly ice cream raid."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Sammy's at Josh's so I get it all to myself." He could hear the smirk in Dean's voice.

"…Why's he at Josh's?" It was a school night, and in his experience - or, at least what he was guessing, anyway - Sam only went over there on school nights when Justin's 'friends' were over and causing trouble.

"He wanted to stay there." He could almost see the way Dean shrugged. The picture was clear in his mind. It was actually kind of nice to be able to see what someone else was doing in his mind - he'd never been this close to someone unless they were family. "So, what's up? And don't say the sky. That gets old," Dean said with a snort.

Castiel nearly rolled his eyes. "I'm just sitting on my bed. Finished my homework."

"Bookworm," Dean said, but his tone of voice was fond, so Castiel wasn't offended in the slightest.

"Maybe. What are you doing other than eating ice cream?"

"Honestly? I'm reading a book. Don't die of shock."

"Really? What book?"

"Dunno, the cover is missing and so are a few of the pages, but I found it in Sammy's room. Uh…don't tell him I was in there, he'll get all pissy on me and rant about privacy and all that. I say he's thirteen - he doesn't have much of a right to talk."

Castiel smirked. "I guess not. I won't rat you out."

"Cool." A pause. "Okay, dude, this is awkward. What the hell are we talking about?"

"Random things."

"Uh huh…why?"

"Because that's what friends do?" At least, Castiel thought so. He wasn't entirely sure. Maybe he could ask Jimmy or something.

"I guess." He could picture Dean shaking his head. "Hey, wanna go to the movies on Friday?"

"Sure," Castiel said, grinning at the suggestion. "Sam coming?"

"Maybe. He might stay at Josh's." A slow pause that stretched through the silence, causing Castiel to frown. "Uh…can I…um…well, you said to…if…"

"The friends coming over?" he asked slowly.

A sigh. "Yeah…"

"Come over."

"Okay. But it's not 'til Friday, remember." Dean perked up. "Well, I'm gonna go…my ice cream is melting and it's making me sad."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Uh huh…right, it's _such_ a tragedy."

"I know, right? Heh. But yeah, I gotta take Sam his school things later anyway. Talk to you later, Cas."

"Yeah…see ya."

Dean hung up and Castiel pressed the 'End' button on his phone. He combed his fingers through his hair, feeling a smile spread across his face. It was nice to just be able to talk to someone about nothing in particular.

* * *

Friday came quickly, which made Castiel smile. He and Dean were in the Impala, alone. Castiel hadn't told Jimmy of his plans so his brother hadn't asked to come along, and Sam was at Josh's. It was nice to be alone with Dean, he had to admit. Usually they were either in class, in Drama Club, or Jimmy or Sam tagged along, but it was nice to be by themselves for the time being, on the way to the movies. Castiel wasn't sure what they were seeing but he guessed it didn't really matter.

"Wanna eat first or after?" Dean asked with a smile as they stopped at a light.

"Either is fine," Castiel said, shifting a little in his seat. He was comfortable, but he was just a little curious as to where he and Dean stood with each other at the moment. Were they just friends or…something more? They had kissed, sure, but neither of them had brought it up afterward.

Dean frowned at him but said nothing, only coasted through the light when it turned green and turned into the Taco Bell parking lot. Castiel raised a brow at him and Dean smirked. "Tacos are awesome, man."

"If you say so," Castiel said, even though he had never really been that much of a taco fan. That was usually Jimmy and his mom. Surprisingly, he was with his dad on this one. Usually he and his father were nothing alike. He took after his mom, mostly.

They got a seat in the back after Dean got their order, carrying the tray even though they didn't have all that much food. Not many people were there, but that was fine with Castiel. The less people, the better. He didn't like big crowds all that much. He almost hated them as much as small, crammed rooms. They almost had the same effect on him, too. That was why it was hard coming in late to class or starting a new school - everyone looked at him and focused on him and he hated it. That was probably why he liked being forgotten and part of the background…until now, anyway. Now, he liked the attention. Was this how Jimmy felt all the time?

There was something up with his brother. He wasn't sure what it was, but it made him not want to bring up Dean around him. Why that was, he didn't know, but he didn't think on it too much simply because he had no problem with trying to, er…keep Dean to himself. That was a little selfish and probably wrong, but he couldn't find it in him to stop. Dean was _his_ friend, after all…and maybe something more, if that kiss had been anything to go by.

They ate in a comfortable silence, and it was nice to feel as though no words were needed between them. Whatever they had to say was quickly expressed through a look or a stare, their eyes locking as though they were meant to do so. Castiel didn't find it strange, though. It was actually very comforting to know that he could connect with someone so much, someone outside of his family.

He liked it.

* * *

The movie was great. It was an action one, which was fine. Dean seemed to really like the action movies, and the ones with gunfire and fast cars. Figured. It was okay, though. The two had talked somewhat during the calmer parts of the movie and had eaten popcorn. It was nice, just him and Dean, and he found that he really did like spending time with the guy. His heart felt light and warm every time he was near Dean, which still confused him a little. He liked the guy, sure. Like…_like_ liked him. But yet it also seemed to be more than that…but he didn't let himself dwell on it.

The movie was over now and he was waiting in the main lobby area of the movie cinema, waiting on Dean who was going to pull the car around. Castiel had stopped to refill his drink so he could get his full money's worth and Dean had told him he was going to get the car since it was getting colder outside. Castiel had agreed and now he stood waiting for him.

Tonight had been fun. He wished every night could be like this, but he knew it wouldn't be. The good part was also that Dean was going to be spending the night at his house with him. He didn't stay over that often, really only that one time when he'd shown up in the middle of the night and not since. It would be nice to do so again, though, when tensions weren't rising so high due to Dean telling the truth about the bruises and whatnot.

A woman, young and pretty with dark gray eyes and long black hair, approached him with an easy, flirtatious smile on her face. He tried to ignore her, because surely she couldn't be looking at him, right? No one ever did, not really. They looked at Jimmy - not him. Then she tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to look at her, frowning at her.

"Hey," she said smoothly, grinning as she leaned toward him. He frowned and moved back a step. Dean would be arriving soon. "Why don't you and I go somewhere a little more private?"

"Uh…I'm here with a…friend," he said. He didn't know what he and Dean were, exactly. He wasn't even sure it was exclusive. He just knew that he didn't want to go anywhere with her, even if she was pretty and was looking at him, flirting with him. It was flattering, sure, but he didn't want to do anything with her.

"I'm sure your friend would understand."

Could this woman be anymore obvious? Castiel wasn't interested, though. Jimmy probably would be, but not him. He just wanted her to leave him alone so he could wait for Dean in peace. Dean would be arriving soon, and he turned to look back at the road through the window. "I'd rather wait on my friend."

"But darling," she said with a chuckle, leaning against him, throwing an arm around his shoulder, "we could have some fun."

For some reason, her touch didn't warm him the way Dean's did. Her arm around his shoulder felt cold and unwelcome, like it definitely didn't belong, and so he suppressed a shudder as he shrugged her off, wondering why it felt so different when Dean did it. Sure, he liked Dean, but…He bit down on his lower lip and kept his gaze focused ahead, trying to ignore her. Hopefully she would get the hint and just go away.

But she slid her arms around him and under his shirt, practically purring as she attached herself to him. The contact made him freeze. "What do you say, handsome?"

"I'm with a friend," he said slowly, not sure what to do get away from this woman without using physical force. He didn't want to shove her away - that wouldn't be very nice, and he'd always learned to be nice and respectful toward women. He hoped Dean hurried. Then they could leave and he wouldn't have to worry about this girl. "Please let go of me."

"But you're so squeezable," she told him as though it was the most important sentence anyone had ever said in their entire life.

"Let go."

"But honey-"

"He said let go," came a stern, cold voice, and Castiel looked to see Dean approaching them, definitely not looking amused, a dark, somewhat dangerous look in his cold eyes. His eyes were usually vibrant and warm, but now the difference was somewhat startling as Castiel stared at him. "So I suggest you let go…before I _make_ you." He stopped in front of them, glaring at the woman.

She smiled. "Well, aren't you a hottie too? We could do a threesome."

"What kind of whore are you?" Dean asked, narrowing his eyes. "Are you that desperate you throw yourself at people in a fucking _movie theater_, where there's little kids? Now, he told you to let go of him."

"But he doesn't really want that, do you, honey?" She looked at Castiel with a smile.

"Let go, please," he told her calmly.

"Why must you fight it?"

Dean rolled his eyes and tugged the woman away and off of Castiel, giving her a light shove away from them. It made her stagger a little but didn't hurt her, Castiel noticed. "He said let go."

"Who are you to fight for him?" she sneered, suddenly angry as she glared a them.

Dean shrugged. "I'm a friend."

"You don't want your buddy to be happy with me?"

"Want him to be happy? Sure. With you? Definitely not likely, lady. Why don't you just go away?"

"Why don't you shut your mouth?" she shot back.

Castiel narrowed his eyes at her.

"But I'd rather do this," Dean said, right before he pulled Castiel close and smashed their lips together. Castiel's eyes went wide but then he relaxed and almost smiled, kissing him back, his heart racing. Dean pulled back with a smirk as he looked at the woman. She had this annoyed, somewhat disgusted look on her face, but she said nothing as she growled lowly and stomped away, clearly unpleased. Dean chuckled and looked at Castiel. "Ready to go, Cas?"

Castiel nodded, smiling because of the kiss as he followed Dean out of the cinema and toward the Impala, which was waiting for them right outside the door.

Dean had kissed him again.

In front of someone.

That had to mean something, right?

* * *

It was late, but Castiel couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about the movies, Dean, that woman, and the kiss they had shared in front of her. It meant something, right? He wasn't just thinking too much into things? What were he and Dean right now, exactly? They were friends, yes, but was there more to it than that? Friends, in his experience, didn't just randomly kiss. They didn't _like_ each other like that, either. So what were they?

"…Dean? You awake?" he asked quietly.

Dean was on the floor in a sleeping bag. There was silence in the darkness for a moment before his friend murmured, "Yeah…what is it?"

"I just…um…" He shifted a little in his bed, making the springs whine. "I was kind of wondering…"

"What?" He could tell he had Dean's full attention.

"Well…" He bit down on his lower lip, wondering how to word what he wanted to ask. Would it even be wise to ask? "I just…what are we?"

"…Huh?" Dean asked, clearly confused.

"What are we?"

"Last I checked, male human beings, but I could be wrong," Dean said, and Castiel could hear him smirking.

He sighed. "No…not that. I mean…we kissed."

A pause. "…Yeah."

"So…I was wondering…what are we?"

"As in…relationship wise?" Dean asked slowly, as though clarifying.

Castiel nodded even though he knew Dean couldn't see him through the darkness and his position on the floor. "Yeah. So…?"

"Uh…I don't know…I've…never been good at his…God, what a chick-flick moment…." He could hear the scowl as though the lights were on and Dean was right in front of him.

"…So…?"

"I don't know, Cas…really."

"Oh…okay." He supposed that was okay. Dean didn't seem like the relationship type, anyway.

"I just…" Dean sighed heavily, as though he was annoyed. "Christ, Cas…you sure know how to pick the questions, huh?"

"I just…"

"…What do you want to be?"

Castiel swallowed. What did he want to be with Dean? Well…more than a friend, really. It was strange, but it was what he really wanted. "…More…" He trailed off. Dean would know what he was saying, right?

Sure enough, Dean seemed to. "…Yeah…well…okay. I guess we're more."

"…As in…? Dating?"

Dean shifted in the sleeping back. Castiel heard it rustle. "I…Cas…labels…"

"…Oh." Dean didn't like labels.

"But…yeah…okay. I guess we're…kind of, like…dating."

Castiel smiled to himself. "Really?"

"Yeah. Sure. We're…uh….God…we're together."

The smile won over Castiel's face.

And it didn't go away, even when he fell asleep. It was still there when he woke the next morning.

* * *

It was Saturday afternoon. A typical day, really. Dean had left a few hours before, saying he had to pick up Sammy from Josh's and go check on his father and everything. Castiel was sitting on his bed, wondering what to do, when the phone rang.

Everyone was gone, except Jimmy, who was still sleeping, so he sighed and answered it without looking to see who was calling. "Hello?" he asked.

"Cas." Panicked. Urgent.

Castiel frowned. "Sam? What's wrong?"

A shaky, quick breath. Then two words that left his heart dropping to his stomach, his blood turning to ice.

"It's Dean."

* * *

O.o hmm wonder what happened, lol...but of course I know! Bwahaha! ...anyway...lol. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon (probably around Thursday or so, maybe Friday...maybe tomorrow if I don't have that much homework, lol, but probably not on Wednesday because of my Psych class) but I make no promises. Anywho, thank you so much for reading and please continue to review! Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry it's so short! I've been busy the past few days, what with the interview on Tuesday along with writing club, and then my Psych class was on Wednesday...but as promised, here is the next chapter! I would have waited so the chapter would be longer, but I don't know when I can write on it again. Friday, I will probably be nervous and excited and planning everything for Saturday. And then on Saturday, I have my first book signing! Yay! But I'm excited...so yeah, haha. But here's the next chapter, and hopefully the next one comes soon! I think I'm going to have it between 20 and 25 chapters because I actually know what I'm doing now! Woop woop! Anyway...lol...I'll stop talking now ;)

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

_It's Dean._

Sam's words left Castiel feeling cold and shaky. The phone nearly dropped from his hand but he managed to keep his grip despite the fact that his fingers felt numb, just like his mind. Why would Sam possibly have that tone of voice? It certainly couldn't mean anything good, and horrible images swam through Castiel's mind. Taking in a deep breath, he murmured, "What do you mean?" He hoped he was worried for no reason. He hoped nothing was wrong. Dean had only left a few hours ago, after all. Everything had been great, so perfect…A painful twisted gnawed at his stomach, eating him from the inside out.

"I…Cas…" Sam took a deep breath. "He's in the…in the hospital."

"What?" Castiel gasped, eyes flying open wide. "Why? Is he okay?" He jumped to his feet, running his fingers through his hair, struggling to think clearly. Horrible images of Dean lying still in a hospital bed attacked his mind, refusing to leave him alone, the images playing like a home movie in his head. He felt sick just thinking about it. "Sam, how bad?" He didn't want to know, but yet he had to. Right?

"I…He hit his head."

"What happened?" He clutched the phone tightly, dragging it closer to his ear, listening to Sam's shaky breaths. It sounded like Sam was trying to keep calm and not panic, but he wasn't doing a very good job of that. "Sam, tell me. How's Dean? What happened?"

"He…He came and got me, and…and…" Hesitation and another shaky breath. "I don't know…he went for a walk."

"A walk?"

"Yeah, he…I don't know, he said he felt like it, it was nice out, and he had this look on his face, kind of like something was wrong, but…I…don't…I don't know, Cas, he just…he started walking and then suddenly there's a phone call…"

"A phone call?" Nothing about this sounded good. The knot in his stomach twisted all the more, practically stabbing at him like a sharp knife.

"Yeah, the…the hospital…"

"What happened?"

"They're not sure," Sam said with a gulp. "They…they're still trying to figure that out. They…They think…God, Cas, he was hit by a car!"

"He was _what_?" Castiel gasped, feeling lightheaded as he swallowed thickly, grasping the phone so tightly his hand was starting to hurt, the knuckles gone white, his fingers going numb. His heart raced wildly, fearfully, in his chest, and it was kind of hard to breathe. Images of Dead, pale and still and bloody, filled his mind and he feared the worst. "He…Sam…He's okay though, right?"

_Please be okay,_ he silently pleaded, his throat constricting as he thought back to last night and how wonderful it had been, first with the tacos, then the movie, then that kiss and their conversation that night…Everything had been fine, even perfect, and to think of what he was hearing now…He couldn't think about it, had to shut the thought down from his mind.

Hit by a car. Dean. How could someone do that? He'd heard of it happening on the news a few times - there were sometimes accidents - but this…it was too much, to know that it was Dean, that everything had been so good last night, and now…

He closed his eyes tightly, as though that would block those horrible images from his mind. If anything, though, they only attacked him all the more, relentless.

"Sam…please," he murmured when the younger Winchester said nothing, only releasing shaky, frantic breaths on the other end of the line.

"He…Cas, he…" A short breath. "It was a hit and run…that's what they're saying."

"A hit and run?" Who would do something like that? To Dean, of all people? The thought made his stomach churn and he swallowed back the bile. "Sam, is he okay? How is he?"

"He…He's not awake. They…They're not sure when he'll wake up. Nothing was broken, but…he hit his head. They think he tried to jump out of the way and that probably saved his life."

Castiel took in a slow breath as though to calm himself, even though it actually did anything but. Dean diving out of the way of a car had saved his life. He could have died today, while Castiel sat at home, feeling better than he had in a long time. The thought was so horrible that he forced his mind to go blank so he could think clearly. "How bad, Sam?"

"He just…hit his head. A few scrapes and…but he'll be okay," Sam said quickly, as though sensing Castiel's rising fear. "He's just got a concussion."

"A concussion?" He tried to remember what he knew about those, but then realized that he knew practically nothing about them, except that it was bad to get one.

"They say he should wake up…in about a day or so. They think. They're…going to keep him for a few days for observation, and…they haven't found the hit and run guy yet…"

How could someone hit Dean and then run away? The thought refused to process in Castiel's mind. Someone could have run Dean down like a dog and killed him today, and they hadn't even stuck around to see if he was okay. They had just left him there…like he was nothing. Anger boiled within Castiel.

"The car…jostled him a little. He…They say he probably went up on the hood after diving, but…nothing was seriously damaged…they say he got really, really lucky," Sam continued somewhat breathlessly. Castiel knew this was hard for the younger Winchester, but he appreciated the fact that Sam was telling him anyway. "I…I'm at the hospital now. Could you…Do you…?"

"I'll be there soon," Castiel vowed instantly, because there was no way he was going to relax at home while Dean was in the hospital. He had to see for himself that his friend was okay. That horrible twisting in his gut was only growing worse, and it was making him overly nauseous. The bile rose again in his throat and he struggled to swallow it back down.

"…Thanks," Sam murmured. "I…I have to go…they're taking me to Dean's room. Room 137, okay?"

"Okay, Sam. I'll see you then."

"Okay…thanks again…" Sam hung up and Castiel swallowed thickly as he pressed the 'End' button and finally allowed the phone to drop from his the grip of his numb, white fingers. His heart raced in his chest and he felt breathless and dizzy, almost like he'd just run a marathon. His stomach churned violently and he lurched off of his bed and out of his room, barely making it to the upstairs bathroom in time as he heaved out the contents of his stomach.

"Cas? What's wrong?" came Jimmy's concerned voice, along with a warm hand on his shoulder. Castiel swallowed and wiped at his mouth as he flushed the toilet, standing straight as he turned to look at his brother.

"Take me to the hospital," he said seriously.

Jimmy frowned. "How sick are you?"

"No - not me," Castiel said, shaking his head. "I…Please. It's Dean."

"Dean? Something wrong with him?" Jimmy asked worriedly, his brow knitting in concern.

"He…just take me, okay? I'll explain on the way."

Jimmy nodded slowly. "Yeah, sure…c'mon," he said, grabbing Castiel by the arm and tugging him into the hallway.

Castiel swallowed as he followed his brother out of the house and into the car.

He just hoped everything was going to be okay…that _Dean_ was okay, because if he wasn't…

Well…he didn't even want to think about that.

* * *

The hospital was sterile, as always. It smelled like medicine and sickness and death all in one, if that made any sense. Seeing so many people in light blue scrubs, along with white suits and stern, somber expressions on their faces was really making Castiel more than a little uneasy. Jimmy walked next to him, even though Castiel wasn't sure he wanted his brother at the hospital with him. It was giving him conflicting emotions, really. He hoped Dean didn't look…well…horrible. He hoped he didn't have bandaging everywhere and he prayed he wasn't hooked up to any machines, like his grandmother had been before she'd passed away. The thought of Dean being the same way made Castiel feel all the more sick to his stomach.

Jimmy gripped Castiel's shoulder, a sign of comfort, but it did nothing to ease his nerves and fear the way Dean's touch did. Dean's grip was light yet strong all in one. It was never really tight but yet Castiel knew the strength was there, if only hidden slightly. As it was, it wasn't Jimmy's hand he wanted gripping his shoulder at the moment, not with the fear running through him and the way his heart was stuttering violently in his chest. No, he wanted it to be _Dean's_ hand on his shoulder, _Dean's _footsteps walking next to him.

But it wasn't.

He hoped everything was going to be okay. It had to be, right? He hoped Dean was all right.

They rounded a corner and room 137 came into view. Castiel paused in his walking and Jimmy pulled him along, as though trying to make him face his fears. Sucking in a small, quiet breath, Castiel followed his brother. Jimmy stopped outside of the room and nodded at him to go in.

"…What?" Castiel asked stupidly.

"Go on…I'm going to go find a nurse who can tell us a few things," he said with a nod toward the room again.

"…Oh…um…okay…" Castiel looked at the door to the room and felt himself grow overly nervous.

"It will be okay," Jimmy told him, giving him a nudge toward the door.

Swallowing, Castiel pushed open the door and entered the room beyond.

* * *

...Anyway...lol sorry it's so short! Hopefully more will happen in the next chapter ;) Oh but I did have a question...some people have mentioned that they would like it if Jimmy liked Dean as well...not necessarily in a romantic way, but the crush or whatever is there. I have left that kind of open-ended at the moment because I wasn't sure which direction to go, but if you would really like me to add that into this story, I will do so ;) Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it! My messaging system still isn't working all that great, but I will try to reply to those reviews soonest! Thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for the delay ;) I hope this chapter is longer, lol. It's certainly longer than the last chapter, at any rate. Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter up soon but I'm not sure. I have like...four ideas for new stories and they are driving me crazy! So I might start writing those, but I really want to finish this story first...but we'll have to see how it goes, lol. If the craving to write the new ones gets bad enough, I will have to write them. Anywho, hope you enjoy!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

The room was empty, save for Sam, who sat in an uncomfortable-looking plastic chair at the foot of the bed, and Dean, who was resting silently in said bed. Castiel swallowed and stood for a moment in the doorway as the door fell shut behind him with a small clang. Sam looked up as though startled and then smiled faintly when he saw him, jumping to his feet. He rushed toward Castiel and wrapped his arms around him tightly, causing Castiel to pause for a moment, before he slid his arms around the younger Winchester in return, taking in a deep breath as his gaze wandered toward Dean and then back to Sam. "How is he?" he asked slowly when the two parted.

Sam sighed heavily and shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. "Same. Lucky…I guess," he said quietly, looking down at the ground. Castiel nodded and moved toward the bed, and Sam suddenly backed toward the door. "I'm uh…I'll…I'm going to go get something from the cafeteria…do you want anything?"

"No. I'm fine," Castiel said, frowning at Sam.

Sam nodded as though to himself. "Alright, yeah…um…okay, so…I'll just…go…" He backed out of the room and the door closed after him.

Castiel frowned at the door momentarily before he shifted his gaze toward Dean. He approached the bed slowly, taking deep breaths as though to calm himself, even though he couldn't stop the dread and fear clinging desperately to his heart, their grasp so tight on him that he could barely breathe. Dean was pale, almost as white as the sheet, and there was a wrapping of thick bandaging around his head. Other than that, though, he looked okay. There were no machines, other than the necessary ones, such as a heart monitor, which was beeping rhythmically. It eased Castiel's fears somewhat to see the machine beeping normally, but the fact that it was Dean in the bed still made him increasingly uneasy.

He sank down in the abandoned plastic chair next to Dean's bed. As he'd thought, the chair wasn't that comfortable. He took in a breath and watched the rise and fall of Dean's chest for a long moment, feeling reassured by the deep, even breaths, before he lifted his gaze toward Dean's face, wishing the green eyes would open and greet him. Unfortunately, Sam had said that the doctor's didn't expect Dean to wake up today, but maybe tomorrow. Hopefully tomorrow.

Acting like a girl, as Dean would put it, he raised a hand and slowly reached out to grasp Dean's still one. The skin was warm, like usual, and the touch reassured him that maybe everything really would be okay. He hoped so, anyway.

Then the door to the room opened and he tore his hand away, quickly looking to see Jimmy entering the room, pocketing his phone. "I called Mom and Dad," his brother told him, walking further into the room as the door shut behind him. "They wanted to come up but I said you probably wouldn't want them to."

Castiel nodded slowly in agreement before his gaze wandered toward the ground.

"How is he?" Jimmy asked quietly. "I couldn't find anyone to talk to in the halls. Apparently, shifts just changed about ten minutes ago so the nurses haven't learned much yet."

"Oh." Castiel had been hoping for at least a little news, at any rate.

"How is he?" Jimmy asked again, standing next to the chair Castiel was occupying.

Castiel shrugged. "Sam said the same. He should wake up sometime tomorrow, they say." At least, he hoped so. He actually wanted Dean to wake up today…right now…but he was aware that it probably wasn't going to happen.

"So…a concussion, huh?"

"Yeah." Castiel wished he knew more about them, but all he really knew as that they were bad. They were caused by a blow to the head and they were a mild brain injury. It made his stomach twist to know that Dean had a brain injury of any kind, no matter how mild. How could someone have done this and just run away afterward? How could they not have stopped to see if he was okay? How could they have just kept going?

He took in a small, slow breath and looked at Dean again. Everything had been so perfect, even just hours ago. Last night had been terrific, and he and Dean were dating, even though Dean didn't much care for labels. Did that mean last night was considered a date? A warm feeling settled through Castiel but it quickly dispersed when he looked at Dean's face, pale and still, even though Dean didn't seem to ever be so still. He seemed to always be moving, even in sleep. Castiel had clearly heard the sleeping bag rustle throughout the night, after all. Now, though, Dean was far too still and he didn't like it. At all.

Jimmy's hand landed on his shoulder, a small bit of warmth through the cold dread and fear consuming him. He met his brother's eyes as he looked up, tearing his gaze away from Dean and his stillness. "I'm sure everything will be okay," Jimmy assured him with a faint smile.

The knot in his stomach loosened, but only slightly. He nodded silently and turned his attention back toward Dean.

Castiel couldn't help but feel that it was his fault. He'd told Dean to stay at his place when Justin's friends came over, and Dean had…but at what price? He'd gone out and then had gotten hit by a _car_, of all things, and now he was in the hospital. He knew it was illogical to think this way, because Dean would have gone to pick up Sam anyway, and he might have still gone for that walk, but he couldn't help but feel as though he was the one to blame for it. The feelings of guilt made his insides twist and tighten all the more.

_Please get better soon,_ he thought, fighting off the urge to reach out and touch his friend again. He couldn't…not with Jimmy standing right there. He didn't miss the slightly confused, puzzled look his brother sent him, though.

But he tried to ignore it.

* * *

It had been over twenty-four hours since Dean had been admitted into the hospital. Castiel sat in the plastic chair next to the bed, hoping Dean would wake soon. He was supposed to wake soon, right? That was what the nurses kept telling him when they entered the room. Sam wasn't here - he'd had to leave when Justin had picked him up. It had taken everything Castiel had not to glare furiously at the guy, but somehow he'd managed to just focus on Dean instead. Jimmy wasn't here, either - he'd said something had come up and he had a project to do for school since his friend was going to be out of town, and his friend was supposed to be his partner for it or something like that. Castiel didn't really know…he hadn't really been listening.

So it was just Castiel and Dean, alone in the hospital room. Dean's deep breaths filtered through the silence of the room, only drown out by the even, reassuring beeps of the heart monitor. Castiel stood and stretched his legs, seeing as how he'd been sitting there for about two hours now, ever since visiting hours had started at eleven.

The hospital room was far too clean, in Castiel's opinion. It smelled like medicine and disinfectant, overly so, the smell attacked his senses ruthlessly. No matter how long he sat in the room, he just couldn't seem to get used to it. He knew Dean would hate it as soon as he woke…when he did. Maybe listening to him complain would help him relax, though. In fact, he was almost sure it would.

Sam had told him that the police were looking for whoever had hit Dean, but so far, they weren't having much luck. There had been no witnesses, most people on that street away at work or sleeping in for the weekend. Not many people drove by that way, anyway, preferring to stick to the main road and not a side one. It made sense that Dean would have chosen to walk down that street instead of the busy one…but not why someone had hit him and taken off afterward. It still made Castiel angry to think about it. He hoped the police found the person soon.

He allowed his gaze to wander toward Dean again. He reached out slowly and lightly grabbed a hold of Dean's hand. The skin was still warm - always warm, where Dean was concerned, it seemed. It was normal temperature, not too cold or too warm, for which Castiel was grateful. The last thing Dean needed at the moment was to have a fever or some sort of cold.

There was a faint knock at the door. Castiel released his grip on Dean's hand and turned just as the door opened, revealing Anna. She smiled sadly at him as she entered the room, the door closing softly behind her.

"Hey, I just heard…" she murmured with a heavy sigh. "How is he?"

"…Same," Castiel said. "They say he should wake up sometime today, though." He hoped Dean did, too. Sam had told him the doctors had said they were only going to get concerned if Dean wasn't awake by the end of today. He prayed that wasn't the case, that Dean would soon wake and everything would be okay.

"That's good," Anna said softly, frowning momentarily. "So…a car, huh? Hit and run?" She sat in the other plastic chair on Dean's other side, and Castiel nodded, sitting back down in his seat as he faced her across Dean.

"Yeah."

Anna shook her head. "I'm actually relieved."

"Relieved?" He frowned at her and felt a growl catch in his throat. How could she be _relieved_? Dean was in the hospital, _hurt_…because of a hit and run.

"Not like that," she said quickly, as though sensing the growl he hadn't released. "I just meant…at first, when I heard he was in the hospital, I thought…that maybe his uncle…"

Castiel's brows furrowed curiously. "You…know about that?" he asked slowly.

Anna shrugged. "Everyone knows…it's just that no one does anything about it. It's like…" She bit down on her lower lip. "He never had to tell us…we just sort of…figured it out after a while, you know?" She shook her head slowly. "I mean, once you figure it out, you think you're going to do something about it, right? You think you're going to tell someone…but then you just…don't. And time drags on. And no one mentions it, even though they know as well. It's like some…unspoken secret that no one dares to mention, you know?"

Castiel shook his head slowly. "So…all of you in Drama Club…you all know?"

"Not all of us," she said. "But most of us, yeah."

"And you don't…tell anyone?"

"…We want to. I know Hunter's tried to before, and so have I, and I know Ash and Dean got into a fight over it once, but…" She shrugged again, helplessly. "It's not like we have any proof, Castiel. No one will believe us anyway, unless Dean and Sam agree to it, and I know they won't. Sam doesn't know half of what goes on and Dean's sure as hell not going to say anything." She paused. "Did he tell you?"

"…Yeah."

"Hmm…He never told us. He's never told anyone before. You must be special."

"Special?" He shifted a little.

She nodded. "He must like you a lot…and trust you, if he told you on his own."

Castiel paused. He'd never thought about it like that before, but now that it did, it made him feel warm all over again. Then he just felt cold because he felt like everyone else.

They all knew. They knew what happened, what was going on.

But they did nothing to stop it. No one did. No one said anything.

And so it continued.

And he wasn't any better…he'd done the same thing. Sure, Dean had made him promise, but still. He wasn't any different. He knew, and he wasn't doing anything about it. He wasn't telling anyone. And so it would only continue, right? Who knew? Maybe the next time Sam called, panicked, it would be because one of Justin's friends had put Dean in the hospital or something…maybe something even worse, and the thought left Castiel feeling tremendously cold all over.

He wasn't any better.

Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Dean's arm, unable to stop his actions. Anna paused momentarily and then smiled faintly.

"So I take it you care for him too, huh?" she asked quietly.

Castiel nodded without hesitation. He wasn't going to lie, after all.

"Well…then I'll pray extra hard that everything will be okay," she told him.

Castiel swallowed and closed his eyes.

* * *

It was around five that evening when Sam returned, looking disgruntled and somewhat angry, a scowl plastered on his face. Castiel didn't ask him about it though - he was pretty sure it had something to do with Justin or his father…John, was it? Sam looked at him and paused.

"He wake up yet?" he asked quietly, his hazel eyes wide and hopeful.

Castiel hated that he had to crush that hope. "No. No change."

Sam's expression fell. He averted his gaze toward the ground. "Oh."

Castiel nodded slowly and combed his fingers through his hair as Sam sat in the seat on the other side of Dean's bed, the chair Anna had been occupying earlier. The two of them just sat there and watched Dean for a moment, before Castiel scrubbed a hand over his face. He knew Jimmy would be here soon to pick him up, but he didn't really want to go. Tomorrow was Monday and that meant he had to go to school. He could probably get out of it if he wanted, which he was seriously thinking about. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on school with Dean in the hospital, after all. He was sure his family knew that.

His mother, a few days ago, had been gushing to her friends over the phone about how close Dean and Castiel seemed to be. She seemed to think Dean was good for him. But she didn't know how 'close' they actually were. Castiel wondered about telling his family about his non-label relationship with Dean, but he was a little worried about doing so. He didn't think they would seriously mind or anything. They seemed open-minded, after all. And they were his parents, right? But still…he just wasn't ready to tell them just yet.

The silence of the room was broken and Castiel was torn from his thoughts when Dean suddenly shifted in the bed, his brows knitting together momentarily. He and Sam both jumped to their feet, moving a little closer to the bed on either side. Sam reached out and grabbed his brother's arm and Castiel refrained from doing the same.

"Dean?" Sam asked enthusiastically in Dean's ear.

Dean's eyes fluttered open slowly and he frowned up at the ceiling for a moment, seemingly confused as he took in his surroundings.

Then his gaze landed on Castiel.

His blank, dark, confused gaze.

* * *

Hope you like it! Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I do plan to reply to them as soon as possible, but my messaging system still isn't working correctly. It only works half the time...so yeah, lol. Anyway, thank you so much and please continue to review! They make me update quicker ;) Hopefully the next chapter will be up tomorrow but I make no promises. I might sleep for a while, lol. The book signing went great yesterday! And by buddies showed up and we partied...not that kind of party but you know what I mean. And I stole someone's grilled cheese, lol (sorry Cuppie). Anyway. As I said, hopefully I will continue writing this today and tomorrow but if the craving gets too great, then I will have to start one of the new ideas, lol. Thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	18. Chapter 18

O.o I'm so sorry for the delay! I know I haven't updated in a while...sorry! I really have no excuse...except that I just didn't feel like writing on this story. I dunno, I lost motivation for a while, and got sidetracked, and I joined NaNoWriMo, so...yeah...hehe. Plus I've been throwing around a few other original story ideas, and a few fanfiction ones, and thus it made it hard to actually stick to just one at the time, so this chapter remained unfinished with only three pages for a while...sigh...Anyway. This chapter's not that long...sorry. And not that much happens...but I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer, and I found a fairly good stopping point so...hehe yeah. I still have like...two different directions I could take this...one ends sadly, the other not so sad...which would you prefer? ;) lol I'm not exactly known for my happy endings...in my original fiction stories, anyway, I dunno about fanfiction. I guess it depends on if you want a sequel? Anywho...let me know!

So...I'm gonna stop talking now...I just wanted to thank you all so much for the reviews! This is the most reviews I've ever gotten for any story! Thank you so much!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Castiel stared at Dean, his heart seizing painfully in his chest. Dean looked confused, his eyes dark and blank, as though he didn't recognize him. Concussions caused memory loss, right? _Oh, please no,_ he prayed fervently, staring at Dean with wide eyes while Sam gripped his arm tightly, shaking him lightly. Dean blinked at Castiel long and hard, but his gaze remained blank and confused. Then he looked around the room and then at Sam, smiling faintly. "Sammy," he murmured affectionately. "Hospital, huh?"

Sam nodded with tears in his eyes. "Yeah. You scared me, you jerk."

"Sorry, bitch." Then he gave into a wide yawn and frowned at Castiel again.

"Dean-" Castiel started quickly, his heart clenching painfully in his chest as he looked at the confused expression on Dean's face.

"What are you doing here?" Dean cut him off, frowning heavily at him while Sam's grip on his arm tightened.

"Dean…" Sam said slowly. "You…You remember Cas, right?"

Castiel swallowed thickly as he waited for Dean's answer, praying the blank look wasn't because he didn't know who Castiel was. _Please no…_ If that was why the blank look was there, he wasn't sure what he'd do. He wasn't so sure he could handle that happened. For Dean to just forget all about him, after all they had been through so far, after how close they had gotten…

The thought was almost physically painful. His stomach flopped and he felt like being sick.

"Cas?" Dean snorted. "Of course I remember Cas! God, Sammy, I'm not freakin' stupid!" He shook his head and frowned at Castiel, who was looking at him with wide eyes. Dean remembered him…he knew him…the blank look wasn't about him. He felt like he could breathe again. "Jeez, man, you look worse than me," Dean commented with a faint grin.

Unable to stop himself, Castiel moved forward and grabbed Dean's shoulder, pulling him toward him in return, watching as Dean's eyes brightened somewhat. Lightly, their lips brushed over one another's before pressure was added, Castiel finally able to release some of his pent up tension from these past few days. He felt so relieved that Dean was awake, and that his previous fear of having been forgotten was nothing to be worried about. That dark look hadn't meant Dean had forgotten him or anything, and he was overly grateful for that. What would he have done if Dean hadn't remembered him? That hit to the head…concussion…it caused memory loss at times…

But he wasn't going to worry about, because Dean hadn't forgotten him. Dean was here, before him, and they were kissing.

…in front of Sam…

Gasping as he remembered the younger Winchester's presence, Castiel swiftly pulled back, looking wildly at Sam to see his reaction. Did the younger brother even know he and Dean were together, that they'd ever kissed? He wasn't entirely sure. How much had Dean told Sam?

But Sam didn't look surprised. In fact, he mostly just looked happy, a joyous expression on his face as he grinned from ear to ear, watching the two of them. "Oh, don't stop on my account," he said with a laugh, and Castiel felt that tight knot in his stomach loosen greatly. Then Sam smiled at Dean. "It's good to have you back."

"Did I go somewhere?" Dean asked, cocking a delicate brow.

Sam shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it, I guess. Just…be more careful next time."

"…What happened?" Dean asked, frowning.

"You got hit by a damn car, that's what happened," Sam snapped, glaring at him suddenly. Castiel frowned at the change of voice, at the stern look in Sam's eyes. "What were you thinking?"

"Huh?" Dean looked completely confused. "What are you talking about?"

Castiel frowned. "You don't remember?" The worry knotted in his stomach once more. The words 'memory loss' echoed through his mind, and his earlier relief diminished slightly as he watched Dean, who seemed to be attempting to recall what had happened to him.

"Not really…what was I even doing outside?" Dean asked with a heavy frown, puzzlement etching in his brow.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Sam asked quietly, frowning at his brother. He and Sam both leaned forward a little, both of them gripping one of Dean's arms on either side of him. Dean scowled at them, probably not liking all the touching, but he said nothing he looked up at the ceiling.

"Uh…last thing I remember? …um…I was at Cas's house…I think…right? After the movie? Then we…went to bed…" He looked at Castiel as though for confirmation. "But…that's all…"

Castiel nodded, relieved that the memory loss wasn't as bad as he'd thought it was. "So he lost about a day," he told Sam, keeping a light grip on Dean's arm.

"A day?" Dean's brow creased. "How long have I been out?"

"A little over a day," Sam told him. "You had me worried!"

"Sorry," Dean apologized. "Wait a minute, did you say I was hit by a car?"

"Yeah…"

"How'd that happen?"

"We don't know," Sam said with a shrug. "The police are looking, but…they haven't found who did it. And you don't remember, so…but anyway, they'll probably show up soon to get a statement from you or something."

Dean groaned. "Damn it…I hate cops."

Sam sighed and stood, moving toward the door. "I'm going to go tell a nurse that you're awake," he said as he left the room, the door closing quietly behind him.

Castiel sighed and looked at Dean, who was looking up at the ceiling, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Why were you…looking at me like that?" he couldn't help but ask, unable to hold it in anymore. He had to know what that dark look had been about.

"Like what?" Dean asked, sliding his gaze toward him, giving him his undivided attention.

"I don't know…you looked confused," Castiel told him, frowning.

"Oh…" Dean sighed heavily and looked away. "Just didn't think you'd be here, that's all."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Castiel asked, his frown deepening greatly. Why would Dean think he wouldn't be here when he was in the hospital, when he was hurt, when he'd been hit by a car? It was crazy to think that Castiel wouldn't come. Dean was his closest friend…and if they were to use labels, Dean was his boyfriend. He cared deeply for him…maybe even _loved_ him, but the thought left him a little breathless.

Dean shrugged slowly. "I don't know. It's just…it's usually just Sammy that's here, that's all. I just…didn't think you'd be here."

Castiel sighed. "Dean…why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know…but why would you be?"

"Don't you remember our conversation the other night?" Castiel asked, watching him.

"About…?" Dean asked carefully.

"…Labels…?"

"Oh." Dean frowned. "But that doesn't mean you have to be here."

"Dean, I'm not just going to stay home while you're in the _hospital_," Castiel said, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know why you think I would. Would you not come see me if I were in your position?"

Dean shifted uneasily. "That's different," he muttered.

"How?"

"You're you," Dean murmured. "And I'm me."

Castiel frowned. "I don't know what you mean."

"I mean…People would come see you. I would. But…why would anyone be here for me?" He seemed confused, a crease in his brow as his eyes narrowed in thought. "I don't understand."

"Do you really…have that low an opinion of yourself?" Castiel asked, swallowing. Had he somehow let Dean believe he wasn't worthy of love or kindness? Was he that bad of a friend? Dean shifted again and shrugged, and Castiel felt anger consume him. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know…"

But then…why wouldn't he? Anna had confirmed that people knew of what was happening to Dean at home, but they never did anything about it. His family, except Sam, didn't seem very keen on being there for him. In fact, he hadn't seen anyone besides Sam and Anna visiting Dean in the hospital at all, which was very strange. Shouldn't his father had come? His uncle, seeing as how Dean spoke so highly of him? But no one had, and the anger boiled within Castiel. How dare anyone treat Dean like this, and make him think this way? His hands clenched into fists and his grip on Dean's arm tightened. He only loosened his grip when Dean winced and frowned at him.

"I don't want…you to think like that, okay?" Castiel murmured.

Dean shrugged. "Okay…" But he didn't seem that convinced.

The door to the room opened before Castiel could say anything else, and Sam entered, quickly followed by a nurse, who smiled kindly at Dean, seemingly happy that he was awake. "Well, Mr. Winchester," she said as she approached his bed, "it's good to see that you're awake and aware. Sam tells me you have trouble remembering the day of the accident?"

Dean nodded. "So they tell me," he told her with a frown, shifting again, nervously. He obviously hated being in hospitals, Castiel noticed.

"Well," she said, "I'm sure the memories will return. Tell me, are you feeling any pain?"

"…Not really…I just kinda feel numb," Dean told her truthfully.

"That's because of the medication we have you on," she said, gesturing at the IV drip in his left arm, the arm Sam had been holding onto earlier. Sam returned to Dean's left side. "We can reduce the strength here in the next few hours. You seem to be doing well." She looked over his chart, which had been hanging at the foot of his bed. "Your vitals are good, your heart rate strong, blood pressure is fine…you're doing fine."

"Well…I guess that's good," Dean said.

"Are you hungry?"

"God, yes," Dean said, seemingly salivating already, causing Castiel to smile at the 'Dean-ness' of his answer. "I'm dying to have a cheeseburger."

"Well, I'll see what I can find in the cafeteria," the nurse promised him, smiling warmly as she turned to take her leave. She left the room and Dean sighed.

"So when can I get out of here?" he asked, looking at Sam.

Sam frowned. "Dean…you just woke up. You've been unconscious! You were hit _by a car_!"

"Yeah, and?" Dean asked casually, as though it were no big deal and happened all the time, which it certainly did _not_. Castiel frowned at him.

"So you're going to stay here for a while."

"Sam…"

"Don't argue."

"Whose the older brother here?" Dean asked, raising a brow at the tone of Sam's voice.

"You, when you're not saying stupid things," Sam said with a sigh. "Just a few more days, Dean, until they release you, okay?"

Dean sighed heavily. "Fine," he grumbled. "But don't expect me to be happy about it."

* * *

I'm not that happy with this chapter...I dunno, I just think it seems...off? I guess it's just my mood right now...I'm annoyed...but yeah. lol anyway...thanks for reading and please continue to review! Hopefully I won't take so long to update again! Thanks!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	19. Chapter 19

Well, this is definitely one of the longer chapters...actually, I think it's the longest one so far ;) lol so there. I was going to make this into two separate chapters but I was in the mood to write, so I just made it one long one. Hope that's okay. Anyway, I wanted to thank you all, again, for your wonderful comments and reviews! And I want to thank all of those who put this story on alerts and added it to their favorites. I really appreciate it! Thank you all so much!

I'm thinking of making this story around 21-22 chapters long, so only a few chapters left, I'm sorry to say...but hopefully, I will feel compelled to write a sequel...depending on how I end this, haha ;) anyway, thanks again for reading and reviewing, and please continue to do so! Without you guys, this story never would have made it this far!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Two days later, on Tuesday, Dean was released from the hospital. Castiel had to go to school that day, so he wasn't able to be with Dean when he was released, but he called his friend immediately after he got home from school, only to be dismayed when Sam answered and said Dean was sleeping and that he'd had a horrible headache all day. The doctors had warned them that, due to the concussion he'd had, he would probably be prone to a few bad headaches. They had told them to monitor the headaches and see how bad they got and how they affected Dean on a day-to-day basis, and to bring him back should things get bad.

Castiel sighed and sat heavily on his bed, scrubbing a hand across his face. He was worried, but he knew Dean didn't appreciate it and didn't want him to be worrying about him, so he had to practically hide it at the hospital. It had been hard, returning to school today but he had to go. His parents wouldn't let him stay home any longer, even though Dean had still bee in the hospital. He understood that school was important and he could only miss so many days, but still…this was _Dean_, and he'd been _hurt_. Castiel hadn't even been able to concentrate at all today at school, too worried about Dean and how things were going at the hospital. As far as he knew, Sam hadn't gone to school today, preferring to stay with Dean. Castiel felt the same way but had been unable to convince his parents.

He still had yet to see Dean's father or uncle or any adult at the hospital to check on him. But why not? Dean spoke highly of them, seemed to look up to them, so why hadn't they come? It didn't make any sense to Castiel, and he didn't like it. Didn't Dean's family, except Sam, _care_ that Dean had been run down by a car? The thought made Castiel feel more than a little queasy, and he pressed a hand to his stomach, feeling it churn uneasily. Why wouldn't they come? Why had someone hit Dean and then run afterward? It didn't make any sense…

Then again, it had been an accident…right? Some people were afraid to stick around afterward and thus ran off. He knew…he'd seen it on TV a few times, after all. He'd just never thought that it would happen to him, to someone he knew and was so close to, someone he maybe loved.

Sighing again, he combed his fingers through his hair and kicked off his shoes. He'd just gotten through eating dinner, which had been kind of awkward, really. Jimmy had kept glancing at him strangely, as though wanting to ask him something. But he stopped before he did and then would just look down at his food as though he hadn't been looking at Castiel in the first place. Castiel didn't really want to dwell on it, not when his mind was already consumed with worry for Dean, but he still thought of it and wondered what was bothering his twin.

Though they were twins and were pretty close, they had never had those telepathic feelings and instincts that most people talked about when they mentioned twins. They had never had it, as far as he knew, and that was okay. They were identical but that didn't mean their bond was super strong or anything. It didn't mean they shared that telepathic link, and he sometimes tired of people asking about it.

Most people would ask, "What's it like, having a twin?"

And he could never answer, simply because he had _always_ had a twin. He'd always had Jimmy there with him, since birth, and so he had simply no idea what it would have been like to _not_ have a twin, so he could never truly answer those questions. They irked him.

Thankfully, Dean had never posed that question. Why he hadn't, Castiel didn't know, but he wasn't going to question it. He was just happy he and Dean were getting closer…without those odd questions involving his twin.

Though, still…Jimmy was behaving oddly.

Castiel shook his head as though physical shaking the thoughts away, and he pulled his homework out to begin working on. He had gotten Dean's homework from the classes they shared, and he thought that maybe later tonight, he would ask Jimmy for a ride and would run the work over to Dean's house. At least it would be an excuse, and a good one, to see Dean.

Who would have thought that it would hurt to go a day without seeing or talking to Dean?

* * *

Castiel hadn't managed to make it to Dean's that night, simply because Jimmy had fallen asleep rather early after finishing his homework and Castiel hadn't want to wake him just to ask for a ride. He didn't have a license so he couldn't drive…which was strange, considering the two of them had taken Driver's Education together during the summer. Castiel had never really felt motivated to drive, especially when his brother was the only one who had a car, and thus he hadn't bothered really going to take his test. Now, though, he wished he had so he could drive to Dean's to see him.

Either way, it was now Wednesday and Castiel knew Dean was going to be absent again. There was no way he would be at school so soon after getting out of the hospital, and Castiel didn't expect him to.

Jimmy looked at him on the way to school, biting down on his lower lip as though in hesitation, though Castiel wasn't sure as to why his brother would be hesitating. "Is Dean going to be there today?"

"Um…I don't think so," Castiel told him, frowning at the sudden question. Jimmy had asked how Dean was doing once after Castiel had told him he'd woken up, but he hadn't asked about him since, and so the random question made Castiel a little uneasy. "…Why?" he asked quietly.

Jimmy shrugged. "No reason, just curious." He focused his attention on the road ahead. "Do you have Drama Club today?"

"Yeah…but I don't know if I'm going to go," Castiel told him honestly. Dean wasn't going to be there, after all, and he was what made the club fun…in Castiel's eyes anyway. He wasn't so sure if he wanted to go while Dean wasn't there.

"You should go," Jimmy said. "Just because Dean's not there is no reason not to go and see your other friends."

Castiel paused. Friends? His other friends? Were Anna and the others friends? He thought for a moment and realized that, yeah, he thought of them as friends. They joked around sometimes, hung out in Drama Club…and all because of Dean, because he'd first befriended Castiel and had helped him into the inner circle. Warm feelings spread throughout Castiel's body as he thought about it, and Jimmy looked at him funny.

"What's wrong with you?" Jimmy asked with a frown. "you're starting to creep me Out, Cassie…" He shook his head and smiled slowly. "You did think of them as friends, right?"

"I…yeah…I guess so," Castiel answered him.

Jimmy nodded. "Cool…so are you going to go?"

"I dunno…maybe."

"Well…let me know, okay?"

"Alright," Castiel answered.

* * *

Castiel entered his first period and stopped in shock to see Dean sitting in his usual seat, looking a little pale but otherwise fine. His green eyes brightened when he saw Castiel and he hurriedly waved him over. Castiel frowned as he neared his friend and sat down in his seat. "What are you doing here?" he asked, looking Dean over. He was happy to see Dean, that was true, but shouldn't he have been home, resting?

Dean grimaced. "Justin's…uh…friends were over, and I didn't want to be there with them, so…" He shrugged. "Here I am."

Castiel felt anger gnaw at him. "You need to call the cops on them or something."

"I can't, Cas, you know that," Dean told him slowly, frowning.

"I don't care. You shouldn't be here! You should be resting at home, like you're supposed to. They're keeping you from resting properly!"

Dean sighed. "Cas, look…it's fine," he said. "Honest."

"No, it's not," Castiel argued, frowning at him. "Why can't you see that? What they're doing…it's wrong, Dean. You need to tell someone…an adult, a cop, someone that can _help_…"

Dean shifted uneasily. "I can't. I don't want to talk about it." He turned his gaze forward as though tuning Castiel out, clearly not in the mood for this conversation, but Castiel really didn't want to just let it go.

"Dean…"

A few more students entered the room and Castiel snapped his mouth shut, figuring he couldn't mention it within hearing distance of other people. That would be like betraying Dean's trust and that was one thing he would never do.

So he sighed heavily.

"It's…good to see you," he murmured.

Dean slid his gaze toward him. "You too," he said with a slow smile. "I need a dose of Cas a day, doctor's orders."

"Oh really?" Castiel asked with a chuckle. "Am I your medicine now?"

"Why yes," Dean said with a grin, his eyes sparkling.

Castiel smiled, feeling warm inside as his heart raced a little, looking into Dean's eyes. He felt himself leaning forward a little as Dean turned to face him, leaning forward as well. The two got closer and closer, grinning, not even caring that two other people were in the room at the front of the class, hurriedly trying to finish their homework. All they seemed to see was each other, and Castiel's heart raced even more.

And then the teacher came in and ruined everything, causing the two of them to start and pull back, looking forward while the teacher dropped their bag on the desk, giving into a tired yawn that echoed through the quiet room.

Castiel sighed and looked to see Dean smiling at him.

* * *

Castiel had told Jimmy before lunch that he was going to be staying for Drama Club, that Dean had wound up coming to school after all. It had kind of been against his better judgment, telling Jimmy about dean, but that was just because he was curious about Jimmy's sudden questioning this morning. It made him a little uneasy. Still, though, he'd told his brother, and now he and Dean were sitting on the stage at Drama Club.

Anna approached them, smiling. "Good to see you on your feet," she said, greeting Dean with a small nod.

Dean smiled back. "So they tell me."

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Dean said with a scowl. Castiel knew he was tired of people asking him about it, but people were worried about him. Didn't Dean see how much people cared? Didn't he see that people cared about how he was feeling, about what had happened to him?

"Hey," a familiar voice said, causing Castiel to frown as he looked to see Jimmy approaching them, entering the room. He frowned at his brother, wondering what Jimmy was doing here. He rarely ever stopped by Drama Club. Why would he today?

"Jimmy?" he asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?" He moved away from Dean and Anna, allowing them a moment to talk, as he moved toward his brother.

Jimmy shrugged. "Just thought I'd stop by and see how your friend was doing."

Castiel frowned. "He…He's doing okay," he said. _At least, I hope so…_ he thought to himself. He knew how good Dean was at hiding things. Sam had gone on and on about it at the hospital while they had been waiting for Dean to wake up, and then afterward, when Dean had finally fallen back to sleep.

"That's good," Jimmy said with a nod.

"Uh huh…do you want something?" Castiel asked.

"Why would you think that?"

"I dunno…" It was just a feeling he had, and the way Jimmy was acting at the moment.

Jimmy sighed heavily. "I just came to talk to Dean for a minute, that's all."

Castiel frowned. "About what?" he asked quickly, narrowing his eyes at his brother. His gut curled uneasily.

Jimmy shrugged. "Just…about something, okay?" Then he paused. "And then I want to talk to you too." A grin spread across his face. "Because I think I know something but I would like to have you confirm it."

"Confirm what?" Castiel asked with a heavy frown.

"Just something."

"…Right…" Castiel eyed his brother, confused.

Jimmy shrugged. "Well…I'm going to go steal Dean for a moment, okay? Be right back." He moved toward Dean and Anna, who seemed to just be finishing up a conversation, Dean grinning and chuckling while Anna rolled her eyes and started to walk away. Dean turned as Jimmy approached him, and Castiel watched from the sidelines, frowning deeply. What was Jimmy doing? What did he want to talk to Dean about?

He shifted uneasily, watching the two of them as Dean's face clouded in confusion, his brow lifting as though in question to whatever it was Jimmy was saying. Then Jimmy nodded his head toward the back of the room and Dean shrugged, following him toward it as Jimmy began to walk. He looked back at Castiel, frowning at him and mouthing that he would 'be right back', and then he hurried after Jimmy.

_What's going on?_ Castiel thought, and then frowned at the strange, angry twisting in his gut. _What the hell? I'm jealous? Why? It's just Jimmy…he wouldn't do anything. He's not even…like that, right?_

At least, he didn't think so, but then again, when was the last time Jimmy had gotten a girlfriend? All he did anymore was complain about the girls…

Did Jimmy have a crush on Dean? Castiel wasn't sure it was very likely, considering that Jimmy had never really let on that he had such a feeling toward Dean, but still…the doubt was gnawing at the back of Castiel's mind and it was making him nervous. He started moving toward the back of the room as well, intent on figuring out exactly what was going on. Surely Dean would tell him, right?

Dean was laughing and Jimmy was blushing while glaring. What was that all about? Castiel narrowed his eyes and came to stand next to his friend. "What's going on?" he asked calmly, even though his insides were twisting painfully.

"So will you?" Jimmy asked as though Castiel hadn't even spoken.

Dean chuckled and nodded. "I guess so, yeah. It couldn't hurt."

"Thanks," Jimmy said, looking relieved before he looked at Castiel.

"What's going on?" Castiel asked again, a frown overtaking his face.

"Nothing, Cas," Dean said with a smirk. "Just helping your brother with a small problem." Jimmy smirked and started to move away, leaving the two of them alone. Castiel watched as his brother left the Drama Club room and disappeared from view.

"I'm confused…" he said slowly. "What's happening?"

"Nothing," Dean said, smiling at him. "Honest. It's nothing bad, he just had a question and wanted me to help him with something. I swear."

Castiel nodded slowly. He didn't think Dean would lie to him, especially about his brother, but he couldn't help but worry. What about that blush Jimmy had been wearing a moment ago? He took in a deep breath as though to calm the tightening of his gut as he looked at Dean.

"Stay at your place Saturday?" Dean asked quietly, looking at the ground.

Castiel paused. "…Those friends again?" he asked slowly.

Dean nodded silently.

"Sure, I'll let Mom and Dad know," Castiel assured him.

"Cool…thanks, Cas. I, uh…" Dean shook his head. "Never mind. Just…um…yeah. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Castiel told him.

* * *

Castiel was sitting on his bed later that night when the phone rang. He answered it before anyone downstairs could, seeing as how his parents were most likely watching sports or something, and Jimmy was in his room, either watching TV or doing something on the computer. "Hello?" he asked, bringing the phone to his ear as he put his homework down for the time being.

"Hey," came Dean's warm voice, which was a welcome sound. "What's up?"

"Not much," Castiel said. "Just doing homework…you?"

"Nightly ice cream raid," Dean told him.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Castiel said, rolling his eyes. "You're going to get cavities."

"Nah, never. I never get cavities."

"You're going to jinx yourself."

"Doubtful."

"I'm going to laugh when you have to go to the dentist."

"Aw, that's not very nice," Dean said, an obvious pout in his voice that made Castiel laugh.

"Just kidding. I wouldn't laugh, I'd be scolding you 'cause I warned you."

"Ugh, just what I need, someone giving me the 'I told you so' speech."

Castiel shrugged even though he knew Dean couldn't see it through the phone. It was great, talking to Dean like this. Who would have thought that he would have been so comfortable with someone, even outside of his family? He wasn't sure he was even this comfortable with someone _in_ his family…somehow, Dean seemed to have that effect on him.

There was a light knock at his door and Jimmy entered the room. "Hey, Cas, you're better at Chemistry than me, so what did - oh," he said, seeing his brother on the phone. "Sorry, I didn't know you were talking to someone." He paused. "Dean?"

Castiel nodded.

"…Can I talk to him for a moment? Please?"

"Why?" Castiel inquired before he could stop himself, frowning at his brother. Why did Jimmy keep wanting to talk to Dean? First at school and now here…

"What?" Dean asked, seeming confused at Castiel's random question.

"Uh…"

"Please?" Jimmy asked. "Just for a moment. I have to ask him something."

"Uh…okay…" Castiel murmured slowly. "Dean, Jimmy wants to talk to you for a minute, okay?" He was hoping Dean would argue and say that he didn't want to talk to Jimmy, but Dean was generally rude like that, so he knew it probably wouldn't happen.

"Sure," Dean said slowly.

Castiel sighed and slowly handed the phone to his brother. Jimmy nodded in thanks and then left the room to talk to Dean in the hallway. Castiel sat on his bed for a moment, trying to think of what reasons Jimmy could have for wanting to talk to Dean, but he hadn't the faintest idea.

He stood and moved toward his door, wanting to know what they were talking about. He could hear Jimmy talking the hall, but he couldn't decipher the words from behind his door. He opened his door a crack and listened, even though he knew it was wrong to spy on someone, especially family.

"That sounds great, could you?" Jimmy asked with a chuckle. "Awesome, man. Thanks. Yeah, that'd-you can do that? Awesome!"

Why did Jimmy sound so enthused? Castiel couldn't understand it.

"Okay…yeah…that'll work. Thanks again, man, you've saved me a ton of work. Yeah…okay….yeah, thanks." Jimmy started moving back toward Castiel's door and Castiel scrambled away from it, hurrying to move back toward his bed. He just sat down when Jimmy opened the door and tossed him the phone. "Thanks," he told Castiel, and then left the room.

Castiel frowned and then brought the phone to his ear, feeling confused. "Dean?"

"Hey," Dean said, an obvious smirk in his voice.

"What was that all about?" Castiel couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing…just helping him with something, is all."

"…You can tell me."

"I will…soon. Right now, he doesn't want anyone to know."

"Know what?" Jimmy was keeping secrets…from Castiel? Why? What possible secrets could they be?

"Nothing…"

"Dean."

"I'll tell you soon, promise," Dean said. "Just…he doesn't want me to right now, okay? I don't want to make him mad by ruining his trust."

Castiel could understand that…but still. He wanted to know. That strange feeling in his gut started up again, and he was forced to push down his jealousy. He couldn't believe he was jealous…it was just Jimmy, right? Nothing was going to happen. He was just getting worked up for no reason, because everything was fine.

"Aw," Dean groaned through the line, causing Castiel to frown.

"What? You okay? What'd you do?" Castiel asked instantly.

"Nah, I'm fine," Dean sighed. "The ice cream melted on me and dripped on the floor."

"Oh…"

"Sammy's gonna kill me."

"Why? It's your floor."

"No…I'm in his room."

Castiel smirked. "Why?"

"Because he forbade me to come in here, and he went out for a while, so I decided to invade his territory. I mean, tell me not to do something and that's just what I'm going to do. It's in my nature."

Castiel chuckled faintly, his earlier uneasiness disappearing. "I guess so," he said. "So where's Sammy?"

"He asked this girl out."

"What? Jess?"

"Nah, according to him, she's still dating that Luke guy. He asked out some girl named Madison. They're at the movies right now…I'm supposed to pick them up in about a half hour."

"Well, good for him," Castiel said, grinning.

"Yeah, that's my boy," Dean said with a laugh. "He'll soon have everyone falling at his feet." Dean sighed suddenly. "Look…I have to go…I'm going to run and get a pizza for Sammy and his new girlfriend before I pick him up, so I need to be going…"

"Oh, okay," Castiel said, "that's fine. See you tomorrow at school."

"Yeah…see you there, Cas. …Bye." It sounded like there was something else he wanted to say, but he didn't.

Castiel sighed. "Bye, Dean."

The two hung up and he sat on his bed in silence, wondering what it was Jimmy had asked Dean about, and whether or not he needed to worry.

* * *

I don't know where this last conversation on the phone came from, but I guess I thought they could use a little bit of normal ;) haha plus I was having fun writing it, so...hehe yeah. Anyway! Thanks again! Please continue to review, and any suggestions you have, I will gladly read them over. I am taking part in some of the suggestions given to me, after all ;) Thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	20. Chapter 20

Yeah, so...another longish chapter, lol, aren't you lucky? I don't know where this chapter came from...it's like...fluff...and I don't even _do_ fluff. Haha but yeah. Anyway, hope you are enjoying the story! Thank you all so much for reading and thank you for your wonderful reviews! Only like one or two chapters left of this story...I think...haha.

Once this is over, look for the sequel, which (I think) will be called Steady Now...but I'm not sure yet, haha, haven't really decided on a name. Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I hope you will continue to review!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Jimmy and Dean were talking more often. Jimmy had even gotten Dean's number somehow and had started talking to him at night, which left Castiel completely confused. Why would Jimmy be talking to Dean? And why was Dean simply allowing it? He had been mostly standoff-ish toward his twin earlier, so why was he acting like this now? Castiel wasn't sure what to think about it, but these twisting feelings of jealousy were going to be the death of him, he was sure.

So far, he had managed to keep calm whenever he found Jimmy to be talking to Dean on the phone. Dean wasn't very forthcoming with information about what they talked about, but he kept promising to tell him soon, and Castiel really wanted to believe him, but…it was just hard, being kept in the dark, his brother and his boyfriend - if he were to use such labels - talking behind his back.

It was Saturday now, and Dean was supposed to be coming over for the night. Sam was probably at Josh's, as he always was when Justin's 'friends' came over. Castiel wondered how much Josh knew about what was going on in the Winchester household. Did he know that Justin's 'friends' were behind it? Had he tried to help? Or was he like everyone else, including Castiel? Did he do nothing?

Castiel shifted uneasily each time he thought about it. He hated that he wasn't able to tell anyone, that he'd promised Dean he wouldn't. He wanted so badly to help his friend, the man he might have been in love with, but he didn't know what to do…and he'd promised. Dean wouldn't trust him anymore if he broke that promise, right? But then again, what was more important? Dean's safety, or Dean's sense of trust in him? The thoughts were giving Castiel a headache, so he forced them out of his head.

Dean was coming here tonight, and everything would be fine, as he kept telling himself.

At least, he hoped so.

* * *

Dean arrived around six that evening. Castiel was sitting in the living room and he heard his car pull up. He rushed to the door and opened it as Dean started walking up the front steps and onto the porch, a smile spread widely across his face. "Hey, Cas," he greeted warmly, and Castiel smirked, pulling him inside and instantly pressing his lips to Dean's. Dean paused momentarily, as though in disbelief that Castiel was kissing him in the middle of the living room, and then he slid his arms around Castiel and kissed him back, his lips warm and inviting. Castiel grinned inwardly and pulled back, smiling at him. "What the hell?" Dean asked, smirking at him.

"No one's home right now," Castiel told him, chuckling. "Mom and Dad went to the store and Jimmy went out for a drive. They should be back in about an hour."

Dean nodded as the two of them pulled apart. "I'll go put my stuff in your room," he said as he moved toward the stairs. Castiel nodded and watching as he disappeared up the stairs and returned a moment later, his duffel nowhere to be seen.

"Pie?" Castiel asked.

Dean grinned. "Do you even have to ask?" he asked, following Castiel into the kitchen. Castiel rolled his eyes and got the pie from the refrigerator. He opened it and slid it across the kitchen table toward Dean, who was digging a fork out of the drawer near the kitchen sink. Castiel had to smile at the fact that Dean knew his way around the house. Dean sat at the kitchen table while Castiel went to get his own fork, scowling at Dean. Dean shrugged. "I'm not your servant, oh great one."

Castiel rolled his eyes again. "You'd make a lousy one," he commented as he grabbed a fork and sat down next to Dean. The two started eating what was left of the pie, which was just less than half of it. It was good even though it was cold, and Castiel doubted Dean could really care less, so long as he got the pie.

They were wrapped in a comfortable silence, which Castiel thought felt nice. It was nice that there were no words needed between the two of them. Castiel doubted he had ever felt this comfortable around anyone before, even in his family.

Indeed, Dean seemed to be one of a kind.

Once they finished the pie, they moved into the living room to sit on the couch and watch some TV. There wasn't really anything on, but at least it was something to do…and Castiel was just enjoying the time he got to spend alone with Dean. The two of them didn't get to be alone that often these days, not since the accident…and Castiel's gut still cringed at the thought of it.

Dean seemed to notice, as he frowned at him, green eyes dark with concern. "You all right?" he asked worriedly.

Castiel nodded. "I'm fine…just thinking."

"Ah. You think too much," Dean told him, smirking. "That's the problem. You're brain is fried." He nudged Castiel with his shoulder.

"Whatever," Castiel said, nudging back. Dean smirked and then grimaced, causing Castiel to frown. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, watching him.

Dean rubbed at his head lightly. "Nothing. My head is just…suddenly hurting. I'm fine," he said to Castiel's worried look.

"I'll go get some aspirin," Castiel said, standing and disappearing into the kitchen. He grabbed two aspiring tablets and a glass of water and then returned to the living room, handing them both to Dean. Dean swallowed the aspirin down without hesitation.

"Thanks," Dean said, rubbing gently at his head as though to ease the pain. It didn't seem to be working, though, as his friend still grimaced and closed his eyes in obvious pain. Castiel figured this was one of those headaches the doctors had warned them about…they had said the headaches might just come randomly and out of nowhere, and be painful, and for Dean to always have something at hand. Obviously he must have ignored that last part, or he had aspirin upstairs in his bag.

"You should lay down," Castiel told him.

"I'm fine."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Lay down." He grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him so that he was laying down on the couch, his head in Castiel's lap. A flush spread across Castiel's cheeks but he ignored it, focusing on the person near to him at the moment.

"Cas-" Dean started to protest, but Castiel silenced him by running his fingers across Dean's head where he had seen Dean rubbing at a moment ago. Dean went quiet and leaned into his touch. "That…yeah…you're actually not half bad at that. That actually…feels good," Dean told him quietly, his eyes closed as a light smile crossed his face.

"Feel okay?" Castiel asked, not wanting to be causing Dean more harm than good. He wanted to make sure he was doing the right thing here.

"Feels awesome," Dean murmured, yawning. "You're gonna put me to sleep, though, if you're not careful, Cas."

Castiel smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Huh? Why? For ways to get me tired when I wanna be awake?" Dean asked with a smirk, opening his eyes to peer up at Castiel's. Green met blue and Castiel grinned, leaning his head down to press his lips lightly to Dean's. Dean smirked and wrapped his arms around Castiel's neck, pulling him down a little further and deepening the kiss. "Because," Dean said, pulling back for a moment, grinning, "there are much better ways of tiring me out."

Castiel grinned, feeling his cheeks grow hot again. "I see."

Dean nodded and the two kissed again.

* * *

"Left eyelash yellow," Dean declared, watching Castiel and Jimmy as they stood on the Twister game.

Castiel stared at him. "What? That's not even on there!"

"How the hell…?" Jimmy inquired, looking puzzled and amused at the same time.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You guys are no fun. Okay, left foot green."

Jimmy and Castiel moved accordingly. They were in Castiel's room, since his room was cleaner than Jimmy's and so he had more space to play the game in. Dean was sitting Indian style on the bed, munching on a slice of leftover pizza that had been brought upstairs from dinner.

"Okay, uh…" Dean spun the spinner to the game. "Right foot yellow."

They moved and wound up crossing each other's paths. "I'm so going to win," Jimmy declared with a grin.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Castiel said, smiling back. It had been a long time since they had played this game, but it had been something to do once they'd found it, seeing as how there didn't seem to be much else to do. Castiel's computer was down and he didn't have a TV in his room, and he hadn't wanted to have to go to Jimmy's room for TV, or downstairs and bother his parents. Dean had spotted the game hidden away in Castiel's closet and had pulled it out, smirking. This was the second time they were playing it, seeing as how Dean had won the first round.

He was more flexible than they gave him credit for.

"Uh…right elbow red," Dean told them, leaning against the wall, seeing as how Castiel's bed was pressed up against the wall. He yawned and stretched out a little, watching them as they moved to follow his instructions.

Jimmy tripped and nearly topped over but managed to catch himself, causing Castiel to snicker at him. "Shut it," Jimmy said, making Castiel roll his eyes.

"Hmm…can I make this more interesting?" Dean asked innocently.

"No. What you say is crazy," Jimmy told him.

Dean pouted and looked at Castiel with wide, innocent eyes. "_Pleeaaase_…"

Castiel bit down on his lower lip. How was he supposed to say no to that? "Fine," he mumbled, and then paused at the look Jimmy threw him. "What? It might be interesting…and really, how bad could it be?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Well, if you're game, then so am I."

Castiel nodded and glanced at Dean, waiting for further instructions as to where and how to move.

"Okay, let's start with something easy…" Dean tossed the spinner aside and looked up at the ceiling as though thinking. "Hmm…how about…um…Left pinky green."

Castiel paused and then moved. It was hard, stretching across the Twister game, trying to avoid his brother as he attempted to make the same move.

"Okay…hmm…left eyelash yellow."

Castiel rolled his eyes, wondering how that was supposed to even be done. He and Jimmy both leaned over and down so that they were just barely hovering over the ground, their eyelashes just barely touching the yellow circles.

Dean laughed and shook his head. "Right hand blue. Oh, hey, I almost forgot about blue!"

Castiel sighed and tried to move accordingly, but it was hard, trying to stretch around Jimmy, who looked about ready to fall over. Castiel hoped his brother fell so that he could stop stretching like this.

"Right nostril red."

"What. The. Hell?" Jimmy asked, frowning at him. "How are we supposed to do that when we're already bending down to put our damn _eyelashes_ onto the circle?"

Dean shrugged. "If you were the master of the game, like me, then you would know. It's pretty simple." He rubbed his nails against his chest as though he were king of everything, and Castiel couldn't help but scoff. "But of course, no one is as great as me."

"Conceited…" Jimmy muttered.

Dean grinned. "Why thank you. Now, move it, lest I disqualify you for taking too long to follow my command."

Castiel rolled his eyes. Dean was getting way too into this.

But he guessed that meant Dean's head was really feeling better. They had sat on the couch for a while, and Dean had even fallen asleep for about ten minutes, before they were both roused from the couch by Castiel's parents entering the house, followed quickly by Jimmy, and they had been carrying boxes of pizza.

Jimmy attempted the move and fell. Castiel silently thanked God for letting his brother fall, and then he, too, collapsed and breathed deeply, glad the round was over and that he had won. Dean, meanwhile, was laughing from his position in the bed.

"That was quite a show," Dean commented. "We should totally tape it next time and send it to America's Funniest Home Videos. I bet we could win!"

Castiel sighed and got up from the ground, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Well…I think that's enough of that for tonight."

"Tell me about it," Jimmy muttered. "I'm sore and I didn't win a single round!"

Dean smirked. "You snooze you lose, man."

Jimmy shook his head and yawned. "Well…I think I'm going to go to bed." He looked at Dean. "We still on for Monday?"

"Yeah," Dean said with a shrug. "I guess."

"Cool." Jimmy smiled and then left the room with a quiet, "Good night, guys."

Once he left the room, Castiel frowned at Dean. "Okay…what the heck is going on?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"What is going on between you two?"

"Why?" Dean grinned, sliding a little closer to him. "Jealous?"

The way he said it made chills slide through Castiel's spine. "No!" he denied instantly. "I just…I'm curious, that's all. I don't like being left in the dark." Well, that pat was true, anyway. "I just…why can't you tell me? He's my brother."

"I know…" Dean shifted a little, looking away from him as he averted his gaze toward the ground. "I just…he told me not to tell anyone, even you."

"What is it?" Castiel asked quietly. "C'mon, you can tell me, Dean."

Dean paused and sighed heavily. "Fine, but you have to promise you won't say anything about it to him. I don't need him knowing that I told you and broke his trust."

Castiel swallowed. "I promise."

Dean nodded slowly and released a quiet breath. "He, uh…has a crush."

"A crush?" Castiel blinked. "On who?"

"Kelly."

"That girl in Drama Club?" Castiel asked, conjuring up a picture of the pretty blonde in his head. He didn't know that much about her, except that she was pretty quiet, mostly stayed with two people the entire time she was there during their meetings, and she was a senior.

Dean nodded, sighing. "Yeah…her. He just…wanted me to do some snooping for him, that's all. He wanted information on her…like how he could talk to her and get closer to her…" Dean shifted again, nervously. "That's all, I swear."

Castiel nodded, feeling relieved that he'd really had no reason to be feeling so jealous. How could he even think Dean would hide something like from him, anyway? "Oh, okay," he said. "I won't tell anyone, honest."

Dean nodded and yawned. "I think your brother had the right idea," he said, standing from the bed. "I'm tired."

Castiel nodded. He was feeling pretty tired as well, and it was already after one in the morning. His parents, as far as he knew, were downstairs watching horror movies. They'd apparently rented a few earlier and had wanted to watch them. "You can sleep on the bed tonight," Castiel told Dean.

Dean shook his head. "Nah, that's okay, Cas. It's your bed. I'm good with the floor." He picked up a pillow from the bed and tossed it onto the floor, pulling off his shirt as he moved toward his duffel, obviously intending to change into something more comfortable, which, as Castiel had learned, consisted of a loose-fitting, baggy shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He already had the sweatpants on, though - he'd changed into them earlier, after supper.

It was just…usually, Dean changed in the bathroom. He must have been tired if he was willing to change in the room.

Castiel frowned when he saw red bruising on Dean's back. "Dean…what's that?" he asked, standing and moving toward him. Dean frowned at him and Castiel gestured at his back. "The…bruising."

"Oh. From the hit and run, I guess," Dean said with a shrug. "It hurts sometimes but it's fine right now."

"Oh…did the doctors…?"

"They know about it, if that's what you're asking," Dean said. "I doubt I could have hid anything in that stupid hospital gown." He scowled in disgust at the very thought of said gown.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not right now," Dean told him. "Honest."

"Well…now you're definitely taking the bed."

"Huh? Cas, I'm fine on the ground."

Castiel shook his head. "I insist."

Dean groaned. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

"Do I ever?"

"Not really, no. You like to make things difficult." Dean sighed and crawled into the bed. "Fine…I'll sleep in the bed." He looked at Castiel. "But I don't want you sleeping on the floor. It's your house, after all…and this bed is more than big enough for two. Don't worry, I'll be a good boy and stay on my side."

Castiel paused and found Dean looking at him with wide, innocent green eyes, and he found he couldn't say no. Sighing, he grinned and picked up the pillow from the ground, putting it back onto the bed. He kicked the Twister game to the side and then flipped off the lights, climbing into bed next to Dean.

The bed felt warmer, somehow.

* * *

Castiel woke the next morning feeling better than he had in a long time, his bed so warm and his pillows so soft and…wait a minute…that wasn't a pillow. His eyes snapped open and he found himself to be wrapped around Dean, his arm flung over him as though to keep him close. Dean's face was very close to his, his hot breath running across Castiel's face. For a moment, Castiel just started, his still-tired mind unable to comprehend what he was seeing, and then he jerked back in surprise. Hadn't Dean said he would stay on his side? But then again…He looked and saw that he was on _Dean's_ side of the bed. He had moved…Dean hadn't.

And did it matter? This felt so great…so _right_…so wonderful… Why couldn't every morning be like this? Castiel smiled and leaned back into Dean, snuggling his head into the pillow, his eyes sliding closed again.

He could get used to this…

He figured he could sleep a little longer…it was barely light outside, according to his window, and he wanted to stay like this a little longer. It was just so…nice…so warm and….right…

"Cas?" Dean murmured sleepily, his eyes still closed when Castiel opened his to peer at him.

"Yeah?" he whispered back, wondering if maybe he had crossed a line and if maybe Dean wanted him to move away. He would…if that was what Dean wanted, no matter how great it felt.

"Mm…warm…" Dean yawned and seemed to settle down again, shifting a little closer to Castiel, whether consciously or unconscious, Castiel wasn't sure. He smiled and closed his eyes again. Dean's voice startled him, sounding mostly asleep but still there, breathless and tired. "Cas…think…I might love you…" Dean yawned and drifted off, leaving Castiel to blink his eyes open and stare at him.

A slow, warm smile crossed his face and he kissed Dean's forehead, grinning when Dean seemed to lean into him in his sleep. "I think I might love you too," he whispered quietly, not wanting to wake him.

Dean looked cute when he was sleeping, seemingly at peace and comfortable and content.

It was the perfect moment…

Until the door to his room opened and Jimmy suddenly entered, his growing wide when he saw Castiel and Dean in bed, snuggled against each other. Castiel turned his head slowly and caught his brother's eyes, his heart racing frantically in his chest.

_Oh no,_ he thought, swallowing thickly.

* * *

Haha hope you liked it! It's a lot more...fluffier and warmer than what I usually do, but I hope it sounds okay! Thanks for reading, and please continue to review! Only about two chapters left!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	21. Chapter 21

I don't know what's up with me and fluff, but...hehe yeah. Anyway...I might make this 23 chapters, and I might have an epilogue...depending on how long I want chapter 22 to be...but anyway, lol, hopefully there will be a happy ending! Not sure yet though...teehee. Thank you all so much for your awesome reviews! I really appreciate it!

Oh and possible names for the sequel include: Steady Now; Feel Me Now; Ripples; or, if you don't like any of those, I am open to suggestions. The name will help me decide what the sequel will be about. Anyway, thanks again!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

Castiel stared at Jimmy, who was looking at the two of them, unblinking. Castiel hoped that maybe Jimmy couldn't see them clearly, seeing as how there was only a little light fading through from the window, but with the expression on his brother's face, he knew he saw it, knew he saw Castiel's arm flung over Dean and how close the two were sleeping. "Jimmy…" he murmured, swallowing thickly, wondering how his brother would react.

Jimmy sighed and shook his head. "I knew it," he mumbled, stepping out of the room. Castiel swallowed and untangled himself from Dean, whose brow knitted slightly in sleep. He climbed out of bed and moved out of the room, finding Jimmy in the hallway.

"I…It's…I…" Castiel didn't know what to say. He hadn't meant for Jimmy to find out, if ever, and certainly not this way.

"I knew you two were close, but…" Jimmy shook his head, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I didn't…think it was, uh…that far along."

"You…what? You…knew?" Castiel asked, his eyes widening as he followed Jimmy into his brother's room, leaving Dean to sleep in his. He and Dean hadn't been that obvious, had they? Sure, Sam had clearly figured it out, but then again, Dean had always claimed that his little brother was perceptive like that, right? Nervousness consumed Castiel as he looked at his brother as Jimmy sat down on his bed.

"It's pretty freakin' obvious, Cas," Jimmy told him, shaking his head. "I mean, I knew you liked him, and I guess I knew on some level he liked you, but I didn't…I didn't even know you two were _together_, let alone _sleeping_ together."

Castiel swallowed. "We just…um…first time. Dean's back, it's…um…bruised so I didn't want him sleeping on the floor, and he said he didn't want me sleeping on the floor because it's my house, and…"

Jimmy shook his head. "I don't really care, Cas. You can do what you want with your boyfriend. I just…wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"You…don't mind?" Castiel asked somewhat shyly, shifting uneasily.

"Why would I? Hell, even I thought he was hot." Jimmy laughed and grinned, shaking his head again.

"You…what?" Castiel asked, unable to process what his brother had just said. Jimmy thought Dean was hot? Since when did he think of guys that way?

"Well, duh! Have you seen the guy? Expressive green eyes, nice build, freckles, charming personality…yeah, a lot of people find that attractive, Cas."

"But…what?" He still couldn't process it. Jimmy thought Dean was hot. Why did that make him nervous and somewhat angry? Was he really still jealous? Dean was with him, right? It wouldn't even matter if Jimmy _did_ think Dean was hot.

Jimmy waved him off. "Doesn't matter, man. I wouldn't do anything about it. I knew you liked him."

"But how?" It wasn't like he had really been that obvious, right? At least, he'd thought he'd hid it pretty well, but maybe he'd been wrong.

"Honestly, you'd have to be _blind_ not to see it." He took in a breath. "I knew you two would get together eventually, but I had no idea it was this far along."

Castiel swallowed, feeling his cheeks grow overly hot once again. "You…You're not going to tell Mom and Dad, are you?"

"Would I?"

"I don't know…"

Jimmy sighed. "No, Cassie, I'm not going to tell them. I'll let you do that in your own time. Just…from now on? Lock your door, okay? I don't need to see that."

"It was nothing bad."

"You could have been naked."

_That_ made Castiel flush all the more. "Nuh uh!" he protested before he could stop himself. He honestly couldn't see himself going to bed naked…ever.

Jimmy chuckled. "Whatever, man. Why don't you get back to your lover-boy?"

"…What did you want?" There had to have been a reason Jimmy had come into the room in the first place.

"Oh!" Jimmy sighed. "I almost forgot. Mom and Dad are getting ready to go out for a bit…something a breakfast a friend of theirs is having…and they wanted to know if you wanted them to bring back donuts or something. I was going to get your opinion on it but, uh…I now know I was interrupting something."

"Nothing was happening!" Castiel said, turning around to hide his red cheeks from his brother. Grumbling to himself, he stalked out of the room and down the hall, back toward his room. He entered and moved back toward the bed, smiling when he saw Dean in the same position as before, looking adorable - yes, _adorable_, but Castiel would never tell Dean that - in his sleep. He crawled back into bed and attempted to get back into his previous position without waking Dean.

Dean yawned and blinked his eyes open, causing Castiel to peer at him through half-lidded eyes. "Where'd you go?" Dean mumbled sleepily, nuzzling his head into the pillow, his warm breath circulating across Castiel's face.

Castiel smiled faintly. "Jimmy asked if we wanted donuts."

"I'm always up for donuts."

"I figured," Castiel said, smirking.

"Time is it?" Dean's eyes slid closed again.

"Early. We can sleep more, if you want."

"Mmm…sounds like…a plan," Dean said through a yawn.

And it sounded like a plan to Castiel as well.

If only every morning could be like this…

* * *

The day proved to be…wonderful and lazy, really. Dean and Castiel slept until around ten that morning, when Jimmy knocked on the door. Castiel yawned and listened as his brother said through the door that the donuts were here and to come downstairs when they wanted some. He grunted back something unintelligible and then closed his eyes, giving into a wide yawn, feeling Dean shift next to him. He opened his eyes so blue could meet with green again.

"Morning, Sunshine," Dean said, smirking, one hand coming up to comb Castiel's black bangs back. Castiel grinned at the touch and leaned into it, moving forward to lightly press his lips against Dean's in a gentle kiss, which Dean quickly deepened by pulling Castiel toward him. "Sleep well?" Dean asked when they pulled apart.

"Of course," Castiel said. "You?"

"Duh. You make a good blanket."

Castiel smirked. "You said you were gonna be a good boy and stay on your side."

"I lived up to my good boy image," Dean said, chuckling. "You invaded my personal space, not that I'm complaining."

"Good, 'cause I'm pretty comfortable here," Castiel admitted.

"Awesome, I'd hate if this was one-sided." Dean smirked and sat up, stretching a little. "Did I hear something about donuts?"

"Yeah…they're downstairs, if you want some." Castiel sat up as well.

"I'm always up for donuts, Cas."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "I've noticed. And pie."

"Pie is God's gift to us."

"Uh huh…tell me, how hard did you hit your head?"

"Shut it," Dean said, grinning. He crawled over Castiel and out of bed, tripping as the covers tangled around his feet. "Ack!" Castiel reached out to grab his arm and stop his plummet to the ground, but was a second too late, and Dean's body made a harsh thud as it connected to the carpeted floor. "Ugh…" he groaned.

Castiel jumped out of bed. "You okay?" he asked worriedly, watching as Dean sat up and rubbed at his head.

"Yeah…I'm fine. Just…ow. Damn, evil covers of hell!" He glared at said covers and Castiel shook his head, smirking.

"Covers are evil…noted. You sure you're okay?" He held out his hand and helped Dean to his feet, pressing his fingers against where Dean was holding his head.

"Yeah, I'm just peachy. Feel my fuzz?"

Castiel sighed. "Must you make things difficult?"

"Yes. I've heard that good things are never easy."

"Well, certainly not where you're concerned," Castiel murmured. "C'mon, let's go get some donuts in you before you curse the covers again and blame them for everything."

"They _are_ to blame. You believe me, right?" He blinked at Castiel with wide, innocent eyes.

_Damn that look,_ Castiel thought. "Uh…sure. Yeah. Uh huh. Whatever you say, Dean."

Dean grinned and moved toward the door. "Let's go get those donuts."

Castiel's parents were in the living room, watching TV, but they looked up when Dean and Castiel walked toward the kitchen. "Morning, boys," Castiel's father greeted.

"Morning, sir," Dean said back.

Castiel's father smirked. "You don't have to call me sir."

Dean looked confused so Castiel just grabbed his arm and tugged him into the kitchen, where they sat at the table next to Jimmy and picked out a few donuts, not even bothering to grab plates.

"About time you two got up," Jimmy said, smirking. "Or did I interrupt something?"

Now Dean looked even more confused while Castiel sent his brother a glare. "Shut it!" he said, his cheeks reddening again.

Jimmy laughed and then looked at Dean. "I know."

"…You…know?" More confusion on Dean's part.

Castiel sighed heavily, slumping in his chair. "He, um…knows about…uh…us."

"Oh…Oh!" Dean said, and then paused, looking at Jimmy.

"I'm fine with it," Jimmy told him before he got to his feet. "But I would like to talk to you really quick, if you don't mind."

"Um…sure?" Dean looked at Castiel as though for some sort of answer, but Castiel had no idea what this was about, so he just shrugged. Dean stood and he and Jimmy left the room, disappearing toward the utility room just off the kitchen.

Castiel sat at the kitchen table, alone, nibbling at his donut while Dean's sat on a napkin, forgotten. What did Jimmy want to talk about with Dean? He was confused. Shifting in his seat, he looked up when Dean returned to the room but Jimmy just walked through the kitchen and left, smirking at Castiel as he did so. Castiel frowned at Dean as he sat back down and picked up his donut.

"What was that all about?" Castiel asked.

Dean shrugged and took a big bite of his donut. "Got the brother lecture."

"The…what?" Castiel had no idea what Dean was talking about. What brother lecture? What was that?

"He basically threatened to mutilate me in my sleep should I hurt you, which I said I would never do." Dean shifted a little, swallowing what was left of his donut.

Castiel blinked at him. "He…what? Why?"

"Because, Cas. It's just what people do sometimes. The brother lecture."

"I'm confused…"

"Don't worry about it," Dean said, waving him off. "It's fine."

Castiel smiled.

Well, as long as Dean was there, things were 'fine' in his world.

* * *

Dean took Castiel for a ride when he had to go pick up Sam from Josh's. Then they went to a café to get some food, for which Dean said he was paying. Sam kept grinning at the two of them and it was making Castiel a little self-conscious, but Dean just glared back at his little brother until Sam laughed and looked away.

"Cas and Dean, sitting in the Impala, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Sam sang, laughing when Dean nearly choked on his drink and gave his brother the death glare of all time.

"Sam!" Dean spat while Castiel blushed next to him. Dean shook his head. "Before I kill you and have the police after me, I'm going to go to the restroom. While I'm gone, please fix yourself!" He slid from the booth and disappeared from view when he rounded a corner, leaving Castiel alone with Sam, who was laughing his head off.

Sam sobered pretty quickly after Dean left. "So…Cas."

"Um…what?" Castiel asked, shifting nervously under Sam's intense gaze. Sometimes the younger Winchester made him uneasy.

"Since you're dating my brother," Sam said, "I think we need to talk about a few things."

Castiel paused. "Wait a minute - am I getting the brother lecture?"

Sam grinned. "Yes. Basically, if you even think about hurting my brother, I'm going to have to hunt you down."

Castiel sighed. "I have no intention of doing such a thing," he told him.

Sam grinned and nodded. "Good." He looked up as Dean approached them, sliding back into the booth.

"You fixed yet?" Dean asked.

"I'm not a dog, Dean," Sam told him.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Could have fooled me, always whining."

Castiel smiled, watching the two brothers.

* * *

It was in the middle of Drama Club on Monday when it happened. Castiel and Dean were in backstage while people practiced on stage and Anna ordered people around. They were the only ones in the back, and they mainly there because it was darker and quieter than the other parts of the Drama Club room. Dean's head had been bothering him since lunch. He hadn't even eaten anything, looking pale then, and it was even worse now.

Castiel wondered why Dean didn't just go home, but Dean's answer had left him somewhat shaken.

"Because," Dean had told him at the beginning of Drama Club, "I feel like I'm going to pass out and I don't think it would be a good idea to chance driving right now."

So now they were in the back, on the couch. Dean was laying down with his head in Castiel's lap, and Castiel didn't care who saw. His friend, his boyfriend, needed him at the moment, and that was all that mattered. He combed his fingers through Dean's hair, massaging the part that Dean had claimed was hurting. Dean was pale, leaning into his touch.

"Are you thirsty?" Castiel asked, because there was a vending machine only a few steps away.

Dean nodded slowly and sat up so Castiel could stand. The way he was acting, it seemed like his entire head was in pain, his head bowed as though to move it at all hurt. His eyes remained closed as Castiel stood and moved toward the vending machine, but he looked back and stopped when he heard Dean gasp.

Dean's eyes opened wide.

"…Dean?" Castiel asked, frowning worriedly as he moved back toward him.

"Oh," Dean breathed shakily…

…and then promptly passed out.

* * *

The story is almost over! Sad, I know...I've had a lot of fun writing it ;) But will it end happy or sad? Hmmmmm that is the question, lol. I do have a thing for angst, I must admit...and I'm not known for my happy endings, but you know, I guess, lol. I'm starting to like fluff...uh oh. Haha. Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing, and please continue to do so! Maybe two chapters left, plus an epilogue.

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	22. Chapter 22

Ah, yes, the story is coming to a close...here you get some final answers ;) I'm thinking maybe one more chapter and then an epilogue. This story has been fun to write, I must admit. It never would have made it this far without you guys, the reviewers, so thank you all so very much! I hope this new twist isn't unwanted? Hope you like it and enjoy!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two

Castiel panicked as Dean toppled over, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He lunged forward and caught Dean in his arms before he toppled off of the couch and onto the hard ground below. Eyes wide and breaths shaky with fear, Castiel sat with Dean on the couch, his boyfriend cradled in his arms, his heart racing frantically in his chest. "Dean?" he asked quietly, as though unable to believe what had just happened. "Dean? Hey…Dean!" He shook him a little but Dean didn't respond in the slightest, pale and still in his arms, which was all wrong. Swallowing thickly, he ran a hand gentle over Dean's face, feeling the cold sweat. "Help!" he shouted loudly, hoping the others would hear and come to help him. He couldn't leave Dean, after all.

There was no way he was going to.

Frantic thoughts consumed his thoughts as he stared down at Dean, who had yet to move in the slightest. _Please be okay,_ he silently begged, because things had been going so well lately…and now this. It didn't seem fair. _Please wake up…_

"Dean," he said quickly, shaking him again, making sure to be gentle, always gentle. "Dean, wake up - please. Dean! Hey, I need help! Please!"

Anna and Hunter appeared backstage and their eyes widened in alarm. "Oh my God," Anna whispered, hurrying toward them, "what happened?"

"He just blacked out," Castiel told her fearfully.

"Hunter, call for an ambulance," Anna said, bending down next to the couch and pressing a hand to Dean's forehead. Castiel felt a protective surge course through him and he narrowed his eyes at her. He'd already checked him for a fever and he didn't have one, and it wasn't her job to check. He was _Castiel's_ boyfriend, after all, but then again, Castiel figured he was thinking irrationally at the moment.

Hunter disappeared from view, probably to get his cell phone from the stage, where he'd put his things earlier. Castiel swallowed thickly, watching Dean's pale face, wishing he would open his eyes and look at him and say everything was okay, even though it clearly wasn't.

"How long has he been out?" Anna asked.

"I don't know…two minutes, maybe?"

"Okay…Dean? Can you hear me? We need you to wake up, okay?" She ran her fingers through his hair and Castiel felt a growl catch in his throat, even though it was misplaced. What a horrible time to feel protective and jealous! Anna was only trying to help, after all. "Dean."

"Please wake up," Castiel murmured aloud before he really knew what he was doing. His hold on Dean tightened and Dean shifted a little in his arms, causing Castiel's eyes to widen in relief. "Dean? Can you hear me?"

"…Cas?" Dean murmured slowly, his voice sluggish as he blinked his eyes open slowly. "What…happened? Oh. Ow. God…" He clenched his tightly closed and turned his head, burying it into his pillow…which happened to be Castiel's chest.

"Shh, help's coming, Dean," Anna said softly, watching as Castiel took up her position of combing his fingers through Dean's hair, trying to soothe the ache he knew was there.

"…Help?" Dean asked quietly, as though confused.

"Ambulance."

"No…No, don't wanna go back…"

"I don't care," Anna snapped, narrowing her eyes. "You blacked out, Dean."

"Just…no. I'm fine."

"Liar."

"Honest…just…remembering…"

"Remembering?" Castiel asked, his brow creasing in concern and confusion. "Remembering what?"

Dean's brow creased again and then he grew heavier, his face going slack once more. Anna frowned. "Dean?"

Castiel swallowed thickly when Dean didn't answer. "Did he…black out again?"

"I think so."

Hunter appeared backstage. "The ambulance should be here in a few," he promised, approaching them. "How is he?"

"He woke up but he's out again," Anna told him quietly, her expression dark. "What do you think is wrong with him? He was complaining of a headache."

"He didn't eat lunch," Hunter said. He frowned a little at the way Castiel was holding onto Dean in an almost intimate, protective way, but Castiel didn't care, his attention solely focused on Dean. He didn't care what Hunter thought at the moment. It didn't seem important.

"He said something about remembering," Anna murmured.

"Remembering what?" Hunter questioned.

"We don't know…he blacked out again."

"Well…I'm sure he'll be okay. Do you want me to go and keep everyone from coming back here and crowding you guys?"

"Please," Castiel murmured, not wanting a bunch of people around at the moment.

Hunter nodded and rested a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "I'm sure everything will be fine," he said, and then walked off to do as Castiel asked.

Castiel swallowed, not convinced.

He just wanted Dean to wake up and be okay.

* * *

Castiel was able to ride in the ambulance with Dean simply because he refused to leave and let him go alone. Dean was semi-conscious, having woken when the paramedics got there and rushed toward him. Castiel had very reluctantly allowed them to take Dean from his grasp and wheel him out of the Drama Club room on a gurney. Now he sat in the ambulance while they checked Dean's pulse and blood pressure, all of which they said were fine. How that possible when Dean seemed barely aware of them, Castiel wasn't sure, and it worried him. What was wrong with Dean?

"Cas?" Dean murmured as though puzzled as the paramedics hovered above him. Dean's hand reached out for him and Castiel grabbed hold of it with his own, not caring what the paramedics thought of them. All he knew was that Dean seemed to need him, and he was going to be there for him. "Cas…?"

"You're okay," Castiel murmured quietly. At least, he hoped so. Surely the paramedics would be able to make sure Dean was going to be okay, right?

"…I'm fine," Dean murmured in return, staring up at the ceiling of the ambulance. "I said I didn't want to go back…"

"I know," Castiel sighed.

The paramedics were still running some sort of test, taking a blood sample as Dean winced, grimacing.

"Hate needles," he mumbled sleepily.

* * *

Dean was sleeping peacefully in the hospital bed, and Castiel felt like he had been here before, all too recently. He was tired of seeing Dean in the hospital. He'd called Sam but had managed to keep him from coming for the time being simply because Dean seemed overly tired and it was already getting late. Justin had picked Sam up, or so Castiel had heard, and wasn't bringing him to the hospital anyway. So here Castiel sat, in a hard plastic chair next to the bed as he had done before.

And he was stuck waiting and worrying.

He'd called home to tell them what had happened and they had offered to come up but he had begged them off that idea. He just wanted to be alone with Dean for the time being. He didn't need his parents and his brother hovering over him.

Dean shifted in his sleep and blinked his eyes open, frowning at the ceiling momentarily. Castiel tightened his grip on Dean's hand and his boyfriend looked over at him.

"Cas," he breathed in relief. "What am I doing here again? I hate this place."

"You blacked out, Dean - twice."

"Oh…"

"…Are you all right? Jesus."

"Call me Dean." He grinned at him.

Castiel sighed. "This is serious, Dean. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. I told you."

"Yeah, then you blacked out again! Forgive me if that doesn't make me think you're fine! You scared me, you idiot!" And wasn't that the truth? Dean had scared the crap out of him today. He hadn't known what was wrong, what was happening…the doctors had said that it was just a bad headache, that it was normal and that they had warned them it might happen eventually, but that hadn't lessened the fear that had been coursing through Castiel.

Dean sighed heavily, shifting a little more in bed. "I'm sorry, Cas…I didn't mean to scare you. Honest." Dean paused. "Wait a minute…where's my baby?"

"…Your car?" Castiel asked, frowning. Dean nodded. "Jesus, forget about the car!"

"She's my baby, don't talk blasphemy."

"Dean…your car is still in the parking lot at school."

Dean sighed. "Okay…I guess."

Castiel took in a slow breath, telling himself that killing his boyfriend because he was so worried about his car would not be a good thing. After a moment, when he believed himself to be calm enough, he murmured, "You…said something about remembering, earlier….what did you mean?"

Dean's expression darkened and he looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Dean…"

"Please."

Castiel sighed heavily. "What if it's important? What if you remember who hit you? The police can arrest them."

A strange expression quickly passed across Dean's face but then was gone as soon as it had come.

"Oh shit…that's what happened, isn't it? You remember who hit you," Castiel stated, not really asking, the looking on Dean's face confirming his suspicions. "Who was it, Dean? Who did it?"

Dean swallowed. "Cas, please…I can't…"

"Dean." Castiel narrowed his eyes at him. "Tell me. We have to know who did it so the police can arrest them."

Tears sparked to life in Dean's eyes, catching Castiel off guard.

"…Dean?" he whispered softly. "What…What is it? What's wrong?" He used his free hand to grip Dean's shoulder tightly, reassuringly. "What is it?"

Dean swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, leaning his head back into his pillow. "…Justin."

"Justin? Justin what?" Castiel asked, not understanding.

"I…Justin. It was him."

"…What?" Castiel asked, feeling cold all over as he tightened his grip on Dean's hand, unable to fully process what he was saying.

"He…did it."

"He's the one who hit you?" Castiel's voice was cold and calm but he felt anything but calm. His insides were raging in anger. How dare Justin try to run Dean down like that? He was supposed to be Dean's uncle! Dean spoke highly of him!

Dean took in a slow, shaky breath. "Yeah…it was him…he was mad at me…I…I found something out, and…" He pressed a hand to his head, tears slipping down his cheeks.

"…Dean?" Castiel stared, having never seen Dean cry before. It didn't suit him. "Dean, what did you find out?" He slid closer to the bed, tightening his hold on Dean's hand and his shoulder to let him know he was there, that he wasn't going anywhere.

"It was him…he did it…"

"Did what?" Castiel asked, because he had a feeling that Dean was talking about something much more than just the hit and run.

"I trusted him!" Dean growled, his eyes opening angrily.

"Dean, what did he do?" Castiel asked quietly, looking into Dean's eyes. Dean swallowed and averted his gaze.

"He killed her."

"…Killed who?" His blood ran cold at the thought of Justin having actually killed someone.

"…My mom."

"But…what? Dean, you said a fire killed her!"

"He set the fire. I…I heard him talking to his friends that day, after I took Sam home, and…and I couldn't believe it. I growled something at him, I can't remember what, and I left…I had to get out of there…he couldn't have done it, right? I mean…he's my uncle! And Dad was hurt in it too, and that's his brother! I just…it didn't…" He swallowed thickly and took in a deep breath, looking at Castiel with wounded eyes. "It didn't make sense…I couldn't believe it…but then I heard a truck behind me, and…it was him. I thought he was just going to try and talk to me, you know? Try and ask what I had heard, maybe explain things, so I stopped and waited for him, and he just…he sped up…" He clenched his eyes tightly closed, his breaths growing even more shaky, his voice pained.

Castiel moved even closer, sitting on the edge of the bed as he slid his arms around Dean, pulling him toward him, his heart racing wildly in his chest as he listened to Dean talk. _God…his uncle? Why? How could he do this? How could he do this to Dean?_ he thought, but he didn't have any answers.

"I tried to run, once I…once I knew he wasn't going to slow down, what he was trying to do, but…but it was too late, and…I dove and rolled and then…I woke up in the hospital. I mean, how could I forget something like that? I don't understand, Cas….when I went home and saw him, I felt this strange feeling of fear or something, and the way he _looked_ at me and asked me if I _remembered_ anything…I said no and he just…he smiled."

"We're telling the police," Castiel said firmly. "I don't care anymore, Dean, we're telling them everything. He won't get away with any of this."

Dean nodded tiredly. "Yeah…He tried to kill me." He swallowed.

Castiel closed his eyes against this knowledge. "We won't give him a second chance to try," he promised. "Can you tell all of this to the police? What you just told me?"

"Yeah, but…Cas, there's no proof."

"His truck."

"It's barely dented and it was dented before."

Castiel bit down on his lower lip. "They'll believe you."

"Cas, I'm just a seventeen-year-old boy. He's an adult and he's known around town. No one is going to believe me over him." Dean paused. "But…maybe if we can't get him put away for murder and attempted murder…we can get him put away for something else."

"What do you mean?" Castiel asked, frowning.

"He…The drugs," Dean said. "I know where he stores them. I know when he goes there, when he and his friends get together. I can call the police when they're doing it and they'll get locked up for that, if nothing else….I mean, it's something, right?"

Castiel nodded, thankful that Dean wasn't fighting the fact that Justin needed to be put away, along with those friends of his. He swallowed. "…Why do you think he burned the house down and killed your mother?"

"…Life insurance, I guess. It was just luck that me and Sam weren't there." Dean hung his head low. "I don't know how I never saw it before…I mean, the way he wormed his way into our lives, took control of the money that was offered by the house and Mom's death….Dad's eyes and burns…" He shook his head. "I'm so stupid."

"No you're not," Castiel growled. "Stop that. It's not your fault." He tightened his hold on Dean. "Everything will work out, okay? I promise."

He hoped he could keep the promise.

"…When are they going to be getting together again?" Castiel asked quietly.

Dean paused. "In two days. Wednesday. Six o'clock at the abandoned warehouse just outside of town. They should all be there."

Castiel nodded. "Then that's when we'll get them."

* * *

...like it? Hate it? I must admit this was always what I had in mind for the ending of the story ;) A twist...but yeah. Anyway...please let me know what you think! One chapter left and then an epilogue!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	23. Chapter 23

Thank you all so much to all of those who have read and reviewed this story, and put this story on alert and added it to their favorites ;) You guys kept this story going. I never would have thought it would have gone this for, or would have had such a plot. I never would have thought it would have been this long or would amount to this much. It's been so much fun writing this story, and I have all of you to thank for that! You kept it going!

But now, sadly, it has come to an end. I WILL STILL ADD AN EPILOGUE if you want. But this is the last chapter. I will be making a sequel, which I believe will be called Steady Now because the majority of you picked it, so thanks for that. I can't tell you much of the sequel mainly because I haven't decided on a plot, but hopefully it will not be a disappointment!

Also, I hope this chapter satisfies you. I hope it makes sense but I'm not that good at writing stuff like this, haha. If you want there to be an epilogue, I will gladly write one, but that is up to you ;)

Thank you, again! You made this story happen! Thank you all!

Onward!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three

Castiel didn't like this plan, not one bit, but it seemed to be the only available option and the only way to possibly put Justin and his friends away for good. Still, though, watching two cops tape a wire to Dean wasn't something he liked watching, especially with what they were suggesting. It made him shift uneasily. This was the police station! The police were supposed to make people safe, and sending Dean into that place, unarmed, was certainly _not_ safe! Especially with what they were suggesting he say, what he try to get Justin to say…

It sent fear sparking through Castiel each time he thought about it, and he hated every moment of watching this. Finally, Dean slid his shirt back on stiffly, as though full of tension, and Castiel couldn't blame him.

It was Wednesday. In an hour, the wire was going to be turned on and Dean was going to go to the warehouse outside of town, where Justin and his friends were meeting. The police had believed Dean's story, but they had said they needed hard evidence. They could take Justin in on the drug charges, but it wouldn't keep him locked up forever. He would eventually get out, and then he would probably go after Dean. The police could put Dean in protective services, but Dean had quickly refused that option, stating that if he couldn't be himself, then what was the point? Castiel had to side with him there.

They wanted Dean to go in to the warehouse with the wire and try and get Justin to admit to setting the fire that killed Mary. They wanted Justin to admit to running Dean down with his truck, to trying to kill him. Sam was staying at Josh's and had no idea what was going on, as Dean had been very firm in his statements that his little brother was not to know anything about any of this. Because if this failed, he'd said, he didn't want Sam involved, didn't want Justin gunning for Sam. He was going to keep his little brother safe.

And Castiel just wanted to keep _Dean_ safe, and this did not seem like the safest option. He wanted to go in with him but he knew he could not. The police hadn't even considered the idea and Dean had shot him down immediately, stating that there was no way he was going to put Castiel in danger as well.

But how could Castiel help him when he was stuck on the sidelines, unable to even go anywhere near the warehouse? What if things went horribly wrong? What if instead of admitting to the crimes, Justin simply pulled out a gun or something? He'd tried to kill Dean before, after all, so what was to stop him from trying again? Couldn't the police see this?

Swallowing, Castiel watched as the police left the room to gather supplies for where they were going to be stationed, not far away from the warehouse so they could get to Dean quickly if necessary. Castiel took in a slow breath and moved toward Dean, who was absently combing his fingers through his hair, a distant expression on his face.

"I don't like this," he murmured, frowning.

Dean glanced at him as though returning to the present time. "I know," he sighed, "I got that the first fifteen times you said it, Cas. But it's the only way. I can't risk him getting out later and coming for me…he could get Sammy."

"And he could kill you," Castiel said, wanting Dean to care about himself as well. He seemed only concerned about his little brother, about keeping him safe, but couldn't he see that he was being put in the most danger by doing this?

Dean sighed. "…Well…let's hope it doesn't come to that, yeah? Besides, the police will be there…if things go wrong."

Castiel shook his head. "Dean-"

"I don't want to argue, Cas," Dean murmured quietly, his voice low and soft. "Not right now. I just…" He moved a little closer, smiling faintly. "Can't we just enjoy the moment?"

Castiel swallowed and nodded slowly, already feeling himself cave with the soft, open expression on Dean's face. They leaned in for a light kiss and Dean smiled again, sliding his arms around Castiel's waist and pulling him a little closer. Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean in return, closing his eyes momentarily as he swallowed again, hoping everything would be okay.

"…Love you, Cas," Dean whispered so quietly that for a moment, Castiel was sure he was just imagining things.

Then he smiled. "Love you too, Dean."

The next kiss was deeper and seemed to mean a lot more than the others.

* * *

It was time. Castiel had to sit with the police officers in their car, which was parked about a quarter of a mile away from the warehouse, which Castiel felt was simply not close enough. What if something went wrong? Technically, he wasn't supposed to be there with the police, but he'd complained and griped and generally been a pain in the ass until they'd finally caved and agreed to let him come along, as long as he promised to ride in the car. He did.

But he wouldn't, should something go wrong, but he was praying it didn't.

The wire on Dean was activated and his soft breaths came through the line, echoing through the car due to the speakers. Castiel was seated in the back, alone, separated from the front due to little bars in the car. He'd never been in a police car before, and especially not in the back, and it was more than a little unsettling.

"I'm in," Dean's voice filtered through the car, quiet and faint. There was the sound of a door opening and Castiel closed his eyes, willing himself to believe that everything was going to be okay. It had to be, right?

He wished he was allowed to go with Dean. He should have been at his side. It wasn't going to be easy for him, confronting his uncle on something like this, something so big that involved the murder of his _mother_ and attempted murder of himself. Castiel's gut twisted just thinking about it, and he knew Dean had to have been feeling so much worse.

"Dean?" came a surprised voice, and Castiel guessed them to be Justin.

"Hey, Justin," Dean replied, confirming his suspicions.

"What are you doing here?" Justin sounded overly suspicious, his voice closer, letting Castiel know that he had moved closer to Dean. He didn't like the thought of that homicidal maniac being close to his boyfriend.

"I was just…I thought we could talk."

"About what?" A sneer in his voice.

Castiel hated him all the more.

"Just…can we?"

A pause.

"Fine. Guys! I'll be right back," Justin called to other people who were obviously in the room.

There was the sound of another door opening and closing, and then a moment of silence that left Castiel feeling distinctly uneasy. He didn't like the thought of Dean being completely alone with Justin.

"Talk," Justin said, then was the sound of someone stumbling, and Castiel figured Justin had shoved Dean. He felt his hands clench into fists at his side and he had to tell himself to keep quiet. Shoving wasn't that bad, right? It could have been a lot worse, and he prayed it didn't become that.

Dean took in a slow breath. "I, um…I remember."

"Remember what?" Justin asked, his voice guarded and cold. Castiel itched to tell the police to get Dean out of there _now_ but that would just defeat the purpose, and then Justin would see that there were police around and he would be even more angry.

"Everything," Dean said, his voice just as cold as Justin's, making a chill crawl through Castiel's spine. "I remember everything. You killed my mom in that fire and then you tried to kill me when I found out."

"I think maybe you hit your head too hard, kiddo. You don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I'm saying!" Dean snapped angrily. "You set the house on fire and roasted her alive! Almost killed Dad, too! Your own brother, you maniac! And for what? Money! You greedy bastard! You killed someone and took the life insurance!"

There was the sound of scuffling and then a thud and Castiel knew Dean had just been tossed to the ground. He didn't like this, sitting in this car, helpless to do anything for Dean, and he bit down on his lower lip. The police in the front seat shared looks but otherwise remained quiet.

"You better watch what you say, boy, I'd hate to have to kill you," Justin snarled, and then Dean groaned in pain, even though Castiel wasn't necessarily sure as to why.

"Start the car," the officer in the passenger seat said. The other officer nodded and started the car. Things were going badly and that knot in Castiel's gut twisted violently, leaving him feeling sick to his stomach.

"You already tried once. And I know what you did! Why would you do that, Justin? Your own brother! My mom! What did she ever do to you, huh? Why did you have to kill her?" Dean's voice held a broken edge to it that left Castiel swallowing thickly as the car started to move down the road.

"Oh, like you don't know, you snot-nosed little bastard! Do you know how much money your mom's life was worth, kiddo? You should be thankful that you got so much money! She would be happy to see you like this!"

"Whatever! And Dad! What about him, huh? He's your brother! And what about me and Sammy? You would have killed us too!"

The sound of scuffling and flesh against flesh, punches and kicks and Castiel willed his hearing to die at the moment as he clenched his eyes tightly closed. "Hurry," he murmured to the police officers up front, feeling bile rise in his throat.

"Maybe I should have!" Justin growled. "You two have been nothing but ungrateful! Maybe you should have all died in that damn fire!"

Just a little further, as Castiel kept telling himself, and they would be at the warehouse. He would be with Dean and this would stop. He was sure. It would all be over and everything would be okay, with time, and he and Dean would still be together.

More scuffling.

"What the…Are you wearing a _wire_?" Justin hissed angrily. "Have you turned into a little rat, you bastard? Have you?"

"I-" Dean started, but was cut off.

"I'll teach you to be a rat! This time I won't miss!"

"Justin, wait, don't-"

Then came the sound that took Castiel's breath away and left his blood running cold.

A lone gunshot and an angry snarl, from Justin. No sound from Dean.

"No!" Castiel screamed frantically in the backseat while the two police officers flinched at the sound. "Dean!"

_No,_ he thought pleadingly, _no, this isn't supposed to happen! He's supposed to be okay! Dean!_

No more sound came through the wire and Castiel felt tears prick furiously at his eyes. An image of Dean, bloody and still on the ground, filled his vision and he clenched his eyes tightly closed, his heart racing frantically in his chest. _No, no, no, be okay,_ he begged silently, _please, Dean, be okay! You stupid police officers! You said he'd be okay!_

They were supposed to be helping Dean, were supposed to be keeping him _safe_ and now…

"Dean," Castiel uttered again, feeling his mind start to fracture, because none of this would fully process. He couldn't quite get it to make sense.

A gunshot. Silence.

_No…_

They arrived at the warehouse quickly, but Castiel felt like things were moving in slow motion. The car stopped and he quickly got out, even before the police were able to stop him, and then he ran into the building, not caring that maybe he was running into danger. He didn't care that bad people were hear, that Justin had a gun. He didn't care…all he cared about was the fact that Dean hadn't spoken again, hadn't made a sound since that gunshot, and how Castiel had practically sent him here, since he was the one that had suggested going to the police in the first place.

It was all his fault…

Blindly, he pushed through people who were staring at him angrily. They didn't get a chance to do anything, however, as the police officers showed up and demanded the people to drop to their knees and put their hands behind their heads. Castiel moved blindly around, looking for an adjacent room, and once he found one, he pushed the door open.

There was no one there, so he tried another one, and then felt his breath catch in his chest.

"Dean," he breathed shakily, immediately moving toward the still figure on the ground, dropping to his knees next to him. His hands shot out and pulled Dean toward him, and Dean flinched, shifting a little. "Dean?"

"Cas?" Dean murmured, opening his eyes.

"You…I heard a gunshot," Castiel told him, allowing the fear to slip into his voice. "But…there's no blood?" And that was true, there wasn't. So Dean hadn't been shot, right? He prayed not.

"No, he, um…I dove and he missed, but I decided to keep still just in case."

He was behind a small desk, so Castiel could see how that could work. Still, though, the thought that he even had to do that left Castiel feeling uneasy. He should have been there, should have been there to help him and keep him safe, because it didn't seem like there was anyone else to do that for him. Dean was always worried about Sam, but who worried about him? Who looked after him? John, because of the fire, couldn't, and Justin obviously wanted him _dead_…

His stomach twisted at the thought and he shoved it away, pulling Dean even closer toward him. "I didn't hear anything more on the wire…"

"Justin tore it off before he, um…" Dean made a motion with his hand, meaning the gun, and Castiel nodded slowly, closing his eyes as he tightened his hold on Dean. "I'm okay, Cas, honest. I'm fine."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Dean seemed confused.

"I should have been here."

"You couldn't."

"…You could have…" Castiel trailed off, shaking his head as he opened his eyes.

"I'm fine, Cas," Dean told him gently, prying out of Castiel's hold. "But I'm getting sore from sitting on the ground. Let's get up, yeah?"

Castiel nodded slowly and stood, offering his hand out to Dean to help him to his feet. Once they were both standing, Dean pulled Castiel close and covered his mouth with his own, a firm yet gentle kiss, and Castiel almost melted into it, relieved to know that things had turned out okay, that the police had enough evidence against Justin now and that Dean was okay.

They were still together.

And wasn't that all that mattered?

* * *

Sam, as expected, was furious when he'd found out what Dean had done, but he looked relieved to see that Justin was going away. He'd been hurt to learn that Justin had set the fire that had killed their mother and hurt their dad, but he'd just clung to Dean's side throughout the trial. Castiel had sat next to Dean, and on Sam's other side sat a man Castiel had never seen before, but he had dark hair and brown eyes and he figured them to be Dean's father. His face was scarred with burns and his eyes were cloudy, signaling his blindness, but he seemed to be listening intently, a cane in his hand.

They would get through this, as Castiel kept telling himself. They had to, right? Justin was going away for a long time with the evidence the wire had gotten them, and then also the drugs and the gun.

As he'd figured, the sentencing came back guilty and Justin was taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs, his gaze angry as he glared at the Winchesters and Castiel, but Castiel narrowed his eyes right back. He felt no pity whatsoever for the guy. He deserved whatever he got.

After the trial, Dean drove his father and Sam home and then he and Castiel went to the small café they'd gone to much earlier for milkshakes. It seemed like decades ago to Castiel, but it had only been about two months ago, really, if that long.

So much had happened in that short amount of time…

If someone had told him years ago that he would soon fall hopelessly in love with a man in such a short span of time, he would have laughed and thought them absolutely crazy.

Now, though, he couldn't picture it any other way.

"Thanks for being there today," Dean told him quietly.

Castiel reached across the table and held Dean's hand tightly, waiting until Dean's gaze focused on him. "Where else would I be?" he asked in return.

A faint smile drifted across Dean's tired face. He seemed exhausted these days but hopefully things would get better now that Justin was put away for good and the trial was over. "I love you."

"I love you too," Castiel told him honestly, smiling at him.

Three days until Christmas. Dean was staying at

* * *

Castiel's, mostly because John was trying to get things settled out at home and had a few friends over to help him, and Sam was staying at Josh's. Castiel liked John - he seemed like an alright gut, even though he'd only met him at the trial. He seemed nothing like Justin, for which Castiel was grateful.

They were in Castiel's room. Dean was laying on the bed, absently tossing a bouncy ball into the air and catching it only to throw it up again, and Castiel was sitting at his computer, finishing up his homework, even though they were on Christmas Break. He figured it best to go ahead and get it over with so he didn't have to worry about it later on.

Once he was done, he turned to face Dean and saw that he had fallen asleep, an arm folded across his chest, his head tilted to the side and his other arm hanging off of the bed, the bouncy ball on the ground. He smiled and stood, moving toward him. Sitting next to him, he combed his fingers through the short, spiky hair fondly, bending his head down to press his lips lightly against Dean's in a soft kiss.

Dean's eyes opened and he smiled, lifting his head to deepen the kiss. "I could get used to waking like this," he said with a grin as they pulled apart.

Castiel grinned. "That can be arranged."

Dean yawned and sat up. Castiel moved away a little to allow him to do so.

"What do you want for Christmas, Cas? I'm getting Sammy a computer."

Castiel shrugged. "That's nice…and I don't know. Haven't really thought about it." He frowned.

"Haven't thought about it? C'mon, Cas, _everyone_ thinks about Christmas."

"Yeah? Well, then, what do you want?"

Dean paused and shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm just happy Justin's gone, so…"

Castiel nodded. "I see. I'm glad too."

"Yeah…"

A pause.

"But I wouldn't mind a laser gun."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "You are obsessed with that game."

"It's fun! You know it is!"

Castiel chuckled. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he had liked most about the game - the he was playing it, or because he had been with Dean, who had been happy to play.

He supposed it didn't really matter. It was still a fond memory.

He hoped to have many more fond memories with Dean in the future.

If given the chance.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Dean asked with a smirk, jumping to his feet.

Castiel nodded. "Sure. Where to?"

"Do we have to have a destination? Let's just run blind."

"Okay…do you want to ask Jimmy to go?" Castiel wasn't sure he wanted his brother to go, but he couldn't be rude and not ask.

Dean sighed. "Why would I want that, Cas, when the one I want is you?"

Castiel smiled and blushed, following Dean out of his room, holding his hand. It was nice, this. Before he had come here, he had felt somewhat neglected, like everyone preferred Jimmy over him. Now, though, things were so completely different.

People saw him now.

People knew him now.

People heard him now.

And all because of Dean.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Well, there you go! Last chapter ;) Don't forget to let me know if you want an epilogue! Thanks so much for reading and following me on this journey with Cas and Dean, and please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


	24. Epilogue

And now, I must say, it is time for this story to come to an end. It has been so much fun to write, and it wound out turning into much more than I thought it would, and that's thanks to you guys! I hope this epilogue makes you smile ;) I don't know why, but when I read the end of something or watch the end of something, I like it when things make you look back on the movie/show/book. It just makes me love it all the more, so that's what I tried to do here. That's also probably why I cried on the season five finale of Supernatural - because it went back through scenes of episodes and everything. Anyway, I'm rambling, but I just wanted to say thanks!

Look for Book 2: Steady Now - Coming Soon!

Onward...for the last time!

* * *

Epilogue

Christmas was never hectic in the Novak household. Jimmy and Castiel had never been the kind to run to the presents as soon as they woke, and they never got too loud and tore things open in their hurry to see what was in them, not even when they were little kids. They knew to wait until their parents were awake.

This was the best Christmas ever, as far as Castiel was concerned. The bed was warm and he felt so much better than he had in a long time. It was hard to believe so much could change in so short a time, but it had, and he was grateful. He liked the way he felt now, liked the feeling of a warm body pressed against his, and he liked the way it felt when he and Dean kissed, like little sparks of electric impulses of love.

He loved Dean.

More than he would have ever thought possible.

Thinking back on it now, he couldn't believe so much had happened.

From that first meeting in the Drama Club room…

"_Hey! Get back here, you hellion!" a voice shouted. It was the first thing Castiel heard before a body slammed into him and knocked him to the ground. The person who had crashed into him lay on top of him, groaning, and Castiel couldn't breathe, the air knocked harshly from his lungs at the rough contact._

"_Ugh…" the person groaned before they jumped off of him. "Shit, I'm sorry." Castiel looked to see a pair of bright green eyes staring at him in apology, sincere and amused all at once. "I didn't know you were going to be coming in at the exact moment I was trying to leave, but-"_

"_Dean Winchester!" a voice snapped._

He never would have thought he would have felt this way, about anyone, let alone some guy had had met only a few months ago, but then again, Dean wasn't just some random person. He was more than that. So much more.

As Castiel lay awake in bed that morning, he thought back on his time with Dean.

"_Most of the time," Dean told him, thumping him on the back with a chuckle. "Anyway, hurry up and eat. You're coming with me to get an ice cream."_

"_I am?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because I said so."_

A smile filtered across Castiel's face as he rolled over and wrapped his arms around the warm body there, nuzzling his face into the back of the person's neck, releasing a contented breath.

"_Might wanna stay close," Dean muttered to him in a low whisper that was barely loud enough to reach Castiel's ears. "Never know what's gonna happen in here. These people are crazy."_

"_And you?"_

"_Oh, I'm crazy too." He could hear the grin in Dean's voice clear as day, which made him smile as well. Keeping close to Dean as they entered further into the room didn't seem to be a problem, at least not for him._

"Mmm…" Dean murmured sleepily, rolling into him. "Morning already?" He yawned.

"Yeah," Castiel murmured back in response, closing his eyes.

"_There you are," he breathed, shaking his head. "I've been looking everywhere for you."_

"_You…have?" Castiel asked, confused. Why would Dean have been looking for him?_

"_Well, duh," Dean said, frowning at him. "You just up and left, man. What the hell?"_

_Castiel glared at the ground, averting his gaze._

"_So…what are you doing sulking in the bathroom?"_

"_I'm not sulking," Castiel said, even though he knew he was._

_Dean rolled his eyes. "Right, and I'm Christopher Columbus." He shook his head and sank down next to Castiel, sitting next to him. For a moment, the two sat there in silence. Castiel was confused - why was Dean doing this? "So…are you going to come back to the movie or what?"_

"_I…" Castiel didn't really know what to say. The thought of going back in there…well. He didn't like it. He didn't like seeing Dean and Jimmy ignore him. He didn't like feeling like a third wheel. He'd had too much of that in his life and the thought of Dean doing it to him…_

_Well. It hurt more than he would have thought._

"_Or we can hangout here, I guess, though I really don't like the idea of sitting around in a bathroom like some crazy perverts," Dean said with a sigh as he shook his head. "You wanna tell me what's wrong with you? You've been acting weird."_

_Castiel shook his head._

"_You're gonna have to talk one way or another."_

"…_Why are you here?" Castiel asked him quietly, his voice barely audible._

"_What do you mean?" Dean sounded confused._

"_Why are you here…with me…and not out there…with…"_

"_Jimmy?" Dean supplied._

_Castiel nodded slowly._

"_Why should I be? You're my friend, right? Forgive me, but I happen to be the kind of person that worries when their best friend disappears to go sulk in the bathroom."_

"When do you want to get up?" Castiel yawned, not really wanting to get out of bed, but he knew they would have to soon. It wouldn't be long now until Jimmy would come knocking on the door.

At least he didn't have to worry about Jimmy just barging in. He'd been careful to only knock ever since he'd caught them in bed together.

"Do we have to?" Dean sighed, sounding mostly asleep, causing Castiel to smirk.

"It's Christmas, Dean," he said, opening his eyes and brushed a stray strand of short hair from Dean's face, allowing his fingers to linger momentarily. Dean opened his eyes slowly and sluggishly, but smiled brightly at him. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Dean said in return. "Time is it?"

"Almost eight in the morning."

"Mmm…"

"_Yeah." Dean paused and then shifted his gaze away. "I was actually going to ask if you wanted to come along as well. It'll be fun," he promised._

_Castiel paused and frowned at him. "You…want me to go?" he asked just to make sure he was hearing correctly. "Really?"_

_Dean frowned. "Well, yeah," he said. "You're my friend and you've never gone, so…" He shrugged. "I just thought it'd be fun. Me and you could totally take on Sammy." He grinned. "That kid is freakin' sneaky. Not to mention he's too quiet. We should really put a bell around his neck."_

"We gonna get up?" Castiel murmured.

"I guess…" Dean yawned again and stretched, and then sat up, smiling down at him. "What's for breakfast?"

"Is that all you think about? Food?"

"Not true," Dean said, grinning. "I think about you, too. My appetite has many areas of expertise."

Castiel grinned and sat up as well. "I'm glad you're here," he said honestly. Dean was going to stay home for Christmas, but John was still getting things in order and trying to figure out how to manage all of the bills with the money he had, because he had gotten used to Justin doing it for him. John had said it was okay to go to Castiel's for Christmas, and that had been all Dean needed. Sam had gone to Josh's.

The brothers were going to get together later today, though, and celebrate their own Christmas together. Castiel liked that their bond was still strong, even through all that had happened with Justin.

"C'mon," Castiel said, climbing out of bed. He moved toward the door and turned to find Dean following after him sleepily.

"_Um…Cas?"_

"_Yes?"_

"…_What are you doing?" Dean asked, leaning back a little. It was then that Castiel realized he had steadily been moving closer to Dean, no doubt interrupting his 'bubble', which was something Dean had ranted about at lunch one day, his personal space bubble, which Hunter had metaphorically stabbed with a fork._

"_Oh, um, I…" Castiel stammered, flushing as he quickly started to pull back. "I'm sorry, I…" But he trailed off, not knowing what to say. He just wound up staring at his friend again._

_And the weird thing? Dean stared right back. For a moment, they just looked at each other, green attached to blue, and Castiel felt himself moving forward again. Dean didn't bother to move back, didn't flinch or react in the slightest, just kept watching him, staring at him in that intense way that left Castiel somewhat breathless as he stared back._

_Closer and closer the two of them got. Castiel was practically leaning over him now, and Dean was beginning to smirk, leaning forward slightly as well, still watching him. Green still sought out blue and blue was forever locked on green. Castiel reached out and grabbed Dean's shoulder while Dean gripped the front of Castiel's shirt tightly, as though dragging him in a little closer, which Castiel didn't mind at all._

They went downstairs quietly and entered the kitchen, where Castiel got them both a glass of milk. "What am I, Santa?" Dean groused, but drank the milk anyway.

Then they went into the living room and stared at the Christmas tree. It was beautiful, Castiel had to admit. His mother and father always went all out on the tree at Christmas, and it didn't seem like Dean's family really did that, so he enjoyed watching Dean's soft expression as he looked at the tree as well.

"Here," Castiel said, bending down to grab a wrapped present from the pile under the tree.

_They finished it rather quickly. There was one bite left. Dean looked up at Castiel and batted Jimmy's fork away from the last bite, stabbing it with his own fork. "Here," he said, handing the fork to Castiel, who frowned at him deeply._

"…_Huh?" Castiel asked, confused even as he reached out for the fork._

"_You get the last bite," Dean said with a shrug._

"_Um…thanks," Castiel murmured, eating the last bite. It was nice of Dean to do that. Jimmy chuckled and shook his head as he sat on Dean's other side. Bethany grinned at them and left the room, leaving supper to cook for a moment._

Dean blinked at him. "You…got me a present?" he asked as though he couldn't quite believe it.

Castiel smiled. "Well, sure," he said, handing him the gift. They both sat on the couch.

"I got you something too," Dean said, "but it's at home…I can't wrap it and I didn't want to ruin the surprise."

Castiel smirked. "Open it."

Dean took in a small breath and nodded, beginning to finger the wrapping.

_And then, like an unstoppable force, their lips met in a light touch, not much force behind it, just the light feel of two mouths searching each other, trying to figure the other out._

The wrapping slid away from the box and Dean frowned at it before he opened it. In it was another box, much smaller, and a grin slid across his face. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm going to just keep opening boxes until I have nothing but a speck of dust?"

Castiel smirked. "Keep going. No more boxes…well…maybe."

Dean rolled his eyes and opened the box. In it was a card, which he pulled out with a frown, opening it. After a moment, he grinned widely at Castiel and flung an arm around him. "Aw, I love you too, Cassie!" he said gleefully, causing Castiel to blush and scowl at the same time.

"I hate that name," he muttered.

"But it suits you so well!" He paused. "Thanks, Cas. Really."

"No problem. Keep going."

"There's more?"

"Well, duh! What, you think I just got you a card?"

Dean shrugged and found a smaller box in the shape of a square waiting for him. He pulled it out slowly and opened the lid, staring for a moment. "Cas…it's…um…"

"It's horrible," Castiel sighed. "I know, I'm sorry, it's just all I could afford and I really wanted to get you something, so-"

Dean quieted him by pressing his lips to his, pulling him close as he slid his arms around him. Castiel kissed back quickly, feeling himself smile, even though he knew his parents were upstairs and could come down at any moment. He honestly didn't care, just like the thought of being with Dean like this, here and now.

When they pulled apart, he sighed. "Well, I guess that was a nice way of telling me to shut up," he said with a smile.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You were rambling. Anyway, Cas, I love it, honest I do." He pulled it out of the box and hung it around his neck, a necklace with a small amulet-face on it and a leather cord for the chain. "Thanks."

"No problem," Castiel said, shrugging, feeling himself blush.

"_But I'd rather do this," Dean said, right before he pulled Castiel close and smashed their lips together. Castiel's eyes went wide but then he relaxed and almost smiled, kissing him back, his heart racing. _

"After breakfast, I'll go get your present."

Castiel nodded, smiling. "But I already have what I want."

Forget how cheesy that sounded, it was what he was feeling, and the way Dean smiled at him made up for the fact that he'd practically made an idiot out of himself.

* * *

"_Cas." Panicked. Urgent._

_Castiel frowned. "Sam? What's wrong?"_

_A shaky, quick breath. Then two words that left his heart dropping to his stomach, his blood turning to ice._

"_It's Dean."_

Castiel's gut still twisted as he remembered those words, but it was hard to think on them much because Dean was well and all right in the driver's seat of the Impala, grinning like nothing had ever been wrong in the world and like everything was better than okay. Castiel slid a hand over and clasped Dean's warmly.

Dean hummed quietly under his breath.

_Unable to stop himself, Castiel moved forward and grabbed Dean's shoulder, pulling him toward him in return, watching as Dean's eyes brightened somewhat. Lightly, their lips brushed over one another's before pressure was added, Castiel finally able to release some of his pent up tension from these past few days. He felt so relieved that Dean was awake, and that his previous fear of having been forgotten was nothing to be worried about. That dark look hadn't meant Dean had forgotten him or anything, and he was overly grateful for that. What would he have done if Dean hadn't remembered him? That hit to the head…concussion…it caused memory loss at times…_

_But he wasn't going to worry about, because Dean hadn't forgotten him. Dean was here, before him, and they were kissing._

They pulled up at Dean's house and Dean told Castiel to get out of the car and wait there with his eyes closed, and so he did, wondering what Dean had gotten him.

A moment later, Dean returned.

"Hold out your arms," Dean said.

_Castiel smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."_

"_Huh? Why? For ways to get me tired when I wanna be awake?" Dean asked with a smirk, opening his eyes to peer up at Castiel's. Green met blue and Castiel grinned, leaning his head down to press his lips lightly to Dean's. Dean smirked and wrapped his arms around Castiel's neck, pulling him down a little further and deepening the kiss. "Because," Dean said, pulling back for a moment, grinning, "there are much better ways of tiring me out."_

Castiel held out his arms. Something warm and moving was placed in them and he opened his eyes, staring. "Oh my God," he breathed, staring down at the shifting little puppy in his arms. He wasn't sure what kind of breed it was, but it was adorable and small and a gift from Dean. "Where…how…?"

"I found him in an alley a few days ago," Dean told him. "And I thought of you. He's cute, huh?"

"Very. Is he for me?" Castiel couldn't believe it. He'd always wanted a dog but had never been able to get one.

"Of course," Dean said, wrapping his arms around him.

"_Mm…warm…" Dean yawned and seemed to settle down again, shifting a little closer to Castiel, whether consciously or unconscious, Castiel wasn't sure. He smiled and closed his eyes again. Dean's voice startled him, sounding mostly asleep but still there, breathless and tired. "Cas…think…I might love you…" Dean yawned and drifted off, leaving Castiel to blink his eyes open and stare at him._

_A slow, warm smile crossed his face and he kissed Dean's forehead, grinning when Dean seemed to lean into him in his sleep. "I think I might love you too," he whispered quietly, not wanting to wake him._

"It's a boy," Dean told him, "congrats."

Castiel smirked and threw his free arm around Dean's neck while he used the other one to hold onto the puppy, who was completely black in color with bright blue eyes. "Thank you!" He kissed his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too," Dean said, grinning. "Merry Christmas, Cas."

Yeah…it was the best Christmas ever.

And the best part of all?

He had Dean.

* * *

End.

Hope you like it and enjoyed the ride! Thank you for reading and reviewing and keeping this story going! Hopefully book 2 will be started soon ;) Thank you all so much!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~


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